Network
Contributing Writer rail@bauermedia.co.uk
EAST Midlands Railway is to spend £60 million refurbishing its regional train fleet.
The fleet comprises 21 four-car Siemens Class 360 25kV AC electric multiple units, 26 two-car BREL Class 158 diesel multiple units, and 44 Bombardier Class 170 Turbostars (17 three-car and 27 two-car sets).
The project is being delivered by Angel Trains, Siemens, Porterbrook and Eversholt, with significant private sector investment. All the work will be carried out in the UK.
Together with the introduction of the new Class 810 Intercity Aurora trains, it means that all of EMR’s trains will either be replaced with new trains or refurbished.
The Class 360s work EMR Connect and Luton Airport Express services between Corby and St Pancras. They will be upgraded to provide better facilities for passengers, including new 2+2 seating throughout the trains in a mixture of airline style and bay seats, luggage racks, charging points, and new passenger information systems.
The Class 170s operate regional trains across the East Midlands - including Matlock to Derby and Nottingham, Nottingham to Worksop, Newark Castle to Crewe, Peterborough to Doncaster via Lincoln, Nottingham to Skegness, Cleethorpes to Leicester via Lincoln, and Cleethorpes to Barton-on-Humber.
They will be upgraded to provide a consistent customer experience across the fleet. All will receive new seat foams and covers, an extensive refresh, and new passenger information systems and CCTV.
The Class 158s mainly operate on the Liverpool to Norwich route via Nottingham. Thes
