Avanti paid shareholders £11.5m despite ‘abysmal’ service for rail users

Train operator under fire for dividend payment amid severe cuts on its west coast main line

The worst-performing rail operator in Britain, which has severely cut back its services, is revealed to have paid out more than 11m in shareholder dividends last year.

Avanti West Coast, the operator of the west coast mainline, provoked passenger outrage last week by cutting services. The number of trains running from London Euston to Manchester has fallen from three an hour to just one.