Alstom completes £25m refurbishment scheme for South Western Railway

Alstom has completed a £25m upgrade of the Class 458 electric multiple unit (EMU) fleet for South Western Railway (SWR).

The refurbishment has been financed by Porterbrook, a rolling stock financier and asset management company, which owns the Class 458 fleet.

Twenty-eight four-car units have been refurbished at the Alstom Transport Technology Centre in Widnes, taking two weeks to complete each set. Each unit has 234 seats in a two-by-two formation – all with seat back tables and charging points – as well as space for two wheelchair users. All carriages also have two tables fitted with wireless charging points, while their exteriors carry the updated SWR livery.

Work by Alstom at its train modernisation facility in Widnes has also seen the reconfiguration of the vehicles to enable faster acceleration and new carpets laid throughout. Meanwhile, additional work at Alstom’s historic Crewe Works has seen the Class 458’s powered wheelsets overhauled. This has enabled the trains to operate at a top speed of 100mph – up from 75mph.

“This refurbishment demonstrates Alstom’s commitment to delivering smarter, more sustainable and passenger-focused mobility solutions. The work completed at Widnes and Crewe not only enhances the passenger experience on the Class 458 fleet, but also showcases the value of British engineering and our investment in local expertise,” said Peter Broadley, services managing director UK and Ireland at Alstom.

He added: “We are proud to have supported South Western Railway and Porterbrook in this significant programme.”

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