Alstom supports Poppy Train for poignant journey to mark Remembrance

• Alstom joined Avanti West Coast, Royal British Legion and Poppyscotland to create a poppy wreath travelling onboard a specially decorated train
• Alstom-built Class 390 Pendolino adorned with poppy design provided moving act of remembrance

 Alstom has teamed up with Avanti West Coast, the Royal British Legion and Poppyscotland to create and transport a wreath to London on a specially decorated train ahead of Remembrance Day.

The unique tribute, created by Cheshire East Poppy Appeal and the intercity operator, saw veterans, reservists and volunteers assemble a poppy wreath as it travelled by rail from Glasgow to London on Friday 7 November.

To mark the occasion, Avanti West Coast worked with the UK’s leading supplier of new trains and train services, Alstom, to wrap the cab ends of Pendolino No. 390151 with a design featuring poppies – the symbol of Remembrance – at the latter’s Glasgow Traincare Centre.

The Alstom-built Class 390 Pendolino, which is named ‘Unknown Soldier’, made the poignant journey from Scotland to the capital – stopping at 13 stations along the route where veterans greeted the train and presented posies of poppies. 

The initiative was designed to highlight the railway’s connection to the military and to encourage donations to the Poppy Appeal, which provides vital support to serving and ex-serving personnel and their families. 

Before the ‘Poppy Train’ departed from Glasgow Central at 08:00, the plain wreath was decorated with its first tribute by a veteran from Avanti West Coast. A bagpiper sent off the high-speed Pendolino service from the platform.

Armed Forces personnel past and present who have connection to the railway or the charity, as well as representatives from industry partners including Alstom and British Transport Police joined the train during its journey to London – travelling in a carriage adorned with poppies.

A welcome party, including representatives from Network Rail, greeted the train at London Euston before the wreath – representing tributes from colleagues and RBL supporters along the West Coast Main Line – was carried to the station’s memorial as part of a procession.

It was laid as part of a service hosted by a local chaplain – marking the beginning of the station’s Remembrance events. A replica wreath was later laid at the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday.

“My time in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) instilled in me discipline, resilience and a deep respect for teamwork – qualities that continue to shape how I lead projects at Alstom today. The mindset of service and pride in doing things right is something I carry with me every day. It’s incredibly meaningful to be part of Avanti West Coast’s Poppy Train tribute for Remembrance Day,” said Siobhan Lennine, Project Manager at Alstom’s Glasgow Traincare Centre. 

Siobhan joined the Poppy Train between Glasgow Central and London Euston railway stations, where she represented Alstom’s Armed Forces Network. 

She added: “The gesture of collecting posies at each station to form a wreath between Glasgow and London is a beautiful symbol of unity and remembrance – showing how every community along the route plays a role in honouring those who served. It’s also a poignant reminder of the railway’s historic connection to the Armed Forces. I’m proud to be part of a company that recognises and supports veterans through initiatives like Alstom’s Armed Forces Network. These groups provide a vital space for connection and support, and reinforce that our.”

Located around two miles south-east of Glasgow Central railway station, Glasgow Traincare Centre – known as Polmadie Depot – is home to Avanti West Coast’s fleet of Alstom-built Class 390 Pendolinos, and where up to 17 trains are maintained and cleaned every day by over 100 staff who provide a round-the-clock service.

On Sunday 12 October 2025, Alstom opened the site to the public for the first time in 25 years to celebrate the historic depot’s 150th anniversary – Polmadie 150.

“We’re proud to be joining the Royal British Legion and industry partners to recognise the railway’s connection with the Armed Forces. Bringing together veterans, serving personnel and communities local to our route through this poignant initiative is especially pertinent as the UK marks 200 years of the modern railway. This Pendolino will also act as a lasting and moving reminder of remembrance across the West Coast,” said Dean Duthie, Engineering and Infrastructure Director at Avanti West Coast, who served in the military for eight years.

He added: “I’m incredibly proud of our employees, including Armed Forces personnel past and present, for their efforts to pay tribute to those who have served and sacrificed, while raising vital funds for the Poppy Appeal.”