Avanti West Coast - Rail app launched against the clock

Avanti West Coast: Powering a High-Stakes Digital Launch

When Avanti West Coast took over the UK’s West Coast Main Line, they faced a critical deadline: launch a brand new, best-in-class rail app or risk significant business disruption. We were brought in to deliver a robust, high-performing mobile app that could handle the complexities of a new backend system, ensuring a seamless transition and a superior passenger experience from day one.

Navigating a Critical Transition

The challenge was immense. Avanti West Coast, a partnership between FirstGroup and Trenitalia, needed to replace the previous franchise's licensed booking system with a new, bespoke solution under the First Rail app umbrella. The deadline was non-negotiable, and failure to deliver would have an immediate commercial impact.

The project's complexity was amplified by the integration of Trenitalia's PICO ticketing system. Its 'stateless' nature required us to architect a sophisticated middleware solution from the ground up, capable of managing all the logic and data required for a seamless customer journey. This required close collaboration with the Trenitalia team in Italy, overcoming language barriers and navigating the intricacies of their unique backend system.

Avanti West Coast app

Delivering Technical Excellence Under Pressure

Our primary role was to design and build a ticketing app that not only met the tight launch deadline but also set a new standard for user experience in the rail industry. We achieved this by:

• Architecting a robust middleware solution to bridge the gap between the user-facing app and the complex PICO backend.
• Deploying a dedicated team to Italy for hands-on collaboration, ensuring we could overcome technical and communication hurdles at speed.
• Building a future-proof platform that allowed for continuous improvement and the seamless addition of new features post-launch.

Following the successful launch, we continued to enhance the app on a project-by-project basis, delivering key features such as in-app refunds, advanced ticket type options, and comprehensive GA4 analytics integration.

Proven Business Impact

The Avanti West Coast app was launched successfully, on time, ensuring business continuity and immediately providing passengers with a superior, reliable booking experience. The results highlight the project's success:

• A 4.6-star rating on the Google Play store, reflecting exceptional user satisfaction and a best-in-class passenger experience.
• Over 100,000 downloads, demonstrating strong adoption and trust in the new platform.

Our partnership has positioned Avanti West Coast as a leader in customer-centric digital service, creating a powerful and flexible platform that will support their continued innovation and growth in the rail sector.