Work to refurbish Transport for Wales' (TfW) fleet of 27 Coradia Class 175 long-distance trains has been completed.
The refurbishment was part of train manufacturer Alstom carried TfW's £40 million investment in its current fleet of trains out at their Technology Centre in Widnes, Cheshire.
The first refurbished trains provide improved facilities for passengers, including USB and electric charging points, new toilet seats, re-covered seats, new carpets, and new interior fittings. Externally, the trains have been rebranded with TfW's livery.
Class 175s form the backbone of TfW's express services, operating services across the Wales and Borders network through South, North, and West Wales and the Borders.
TfW's refurbishment programme also includes the Class 153 and 158 fleets, which are nearing completion, whilst work is ongoing to refurbish Class 150 Sprinters.
Besides the refurbishment programme, TfW is investing over £800 million on a fleet of brand new trains that will start to enter service across the Wales and Borders network later this year.
Stuart Mills, TfW's Fleet Engineering Manager, said “It's fantastic to be able to deliver these improvements for customers, which they rightly expect to see on a modern railway network. We know being able to travel in comfort and charge devices on the go are incredibly important to our customers, whether they are travelling for 20 minutes or four hours, for business or pleasure.
“While we are building brand new trains, they take time to build and we want our customers to have a comfortable experience right now. So the completion of this extensive work is another major step to building a better railway for current and future generations.”
Peter Broadley, Alstom's Managing Director, Services, said “It's great news for TfW and its customers that we have completed the refurbishment of the entire Coradia fleet as planned, and its a tribute to the hard work and professionalism of our team at Widnes, and Chester where the trains are maintained.”
David Jordan, Chief Operating Officer of Angel Trains, said “After almost three years, it is brilliant to see our final Class 175 unit fully refurbished and ready to get back on tracks. It has been a pleasure to work alongside our industry partners to refurbish this fleet, working together to deliver modern trains that are fit for all TfW passengers.”
Work to refurbish Transport for Wales' (TfW) fleet of 27 Coradia Class 175 long-distance trains has been completed.
Transport for Wales should retain the Class 175 Coradia DMUs to continue operating on the North Wales Coast Line. Which is why the Class 175 are still reliable.