Avanti West Coast says it generated approximately £470m in social value across the communities served by its network during the past year.
The operator made the claim as it launched its annual social report, covering London, the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and Scotland.
Community activity
Almost £300m of the reported total was attributed to community-focused activity and local engagement. Avanti said it delivered 290 community initiatives over 12 months, more than 100 above the previous year.
The activity included station gardening schemes, community fund projects, foodbank collections, coffee mornings, book-sharing spaces and programmes delivered through Community Rail Partnerships.
Educational programmes reached more than 2,000 young people. These included Feel Good Futures, which takes secondary school pupils on rail journeys intended to encourage consideration of careers in the sector, and Springpod, a virtual work experience platform focused on railway roles.
Stations and regional connectivity
Avanti said its work with local authorities, politicians, community groups and industry partners generated £3.6m in social value through station improvements and transport connectivity projects.
Examples cited in the report include new skylights at Coventry station, the opening of a station pub in Carlisle, and an integrated rail and bus travel scheme serving Keswick and the North Lakes.
The operator said 70% of its supply chain comprises small and medium-sized enterprises, which it identified as supporting regional economic growth.
Workforce development
More than 3,000 Avanti colleagues collectively completed over 100,000 hours of training during the year. Staff wellbeing measures included Mental Health First Aid training and a health-check roadshow.
The report uses the Rail Social Value Framework for the first time. The framework was developed collaboratively across the rail industry and facilitated by the Rail Safety and Standards Board.
Rather than measuring activities only after delivery, the framework is intended to align projects with agreed industry outcomes and show how local initiatives contribute to wider sector objectives.
Avanti West Coast has been shortlisted in the Private Sector Leadership category at this year’s Social Value Awards. The operator won the category last year, with the ceremony scheduled to take place in Liverpool on 3 December.
Andy Mellors, managing director at Avanti West Coast, said: “The West Coast Main Line is a key route connecting many of the UK’s busiest, vibrant and diverse cities and communities and we play an essential role in enabling economic growth and supporting social and environmental initiatives.
“We are committed to making sure that Avanti West Coast delivers a railway that is not only efficient and reliable, but one that makes a positive and lasting difference to the customers and communities we are proud to serve.”