Train fleet overhaul by Alstom at half way point
ALSTOM has reached the half way mark in re-painting and overhauling the UK fleet of Pendolino trains at the rail facility in Widnes.
The 28th train has been rolled out of the facility and the remainder of the fleet, operated by Virgin Trains and owned by Angel Trains, is due to be completed by December 2019.
The high speed Class 390 Pendolino tilting trains are used by Virgin Trains to provide a fast and frequent service between London, Glasgow, Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool and points in between.
Virgin Trains introduced the Alstom-built trains in 2003 and they have since reduced journey times on the line and transformed connectivity. Along the 1,265-kilometre route, the last year (2017-18) saw 38.3 million passenger journeys made totalling 7,582.3 million passenger kilometres.
The fleet is receiving a complete re-paint to protect the trains and ensure they have a successful future. Each train takes two weeks to complete.
The cars are being stripped back completely, including exterior fittings, having minor repairs and restoration and being re-painted, a layer at a time, to prevent corrosion and rust.
This will protect the carriages against wear and tear and enable the trains to operate for many more years.
The repainting is being completed in Alstom’s Widnes modernisation facility, the most advanced in the country. It was built to be able to accommodate the full length of the nine and 11 car trains end-to-end and is the only facility in the UK that can do this.
The main modernisation hall in Widnes is so large that it rivals the size of the deck of the UK’s flagship new Queen Elizabeth II aircraft carrier.
Piers Wood, managing director fleet services, Alstom UK & Ireland, said:“We are very proud of the job we’re doing with this repaint. These iconic Pendolinos are the backbone of Britain’s railways, and this will allow them to continue serving the millions of passengers they carry every year. A repaint of this scale has never been undertaken by the industry before and it is particularly special for us as it is the first piece of major work we are doing at our state-of-the-art Widnes facility.
“We are also pleased that this programme has allowed us to bring on some brilliant apprentices, who are now a key part of our team at Widnes. With our partners at Virgin Trains and Angel Trains we want this programme and this iconic train to continue to be a real showcase of what we can achieve in the industry.”
Peter Broadley, executive director for customer, operations and safety at ● Virgin Trains, said:“The new look Pendolino is certainly catching the eye and its of great credit to all involved that will we have a fully repainted fleet by December 2019.”
David Jordan, chief operating officer, Angel Trains, said:“We are delighted with the progress of the Pendolino repainting project.
“We know that this transformative work, led by our partners at Alstom, will both improve the longevity of this Class 390 fleet and benefit British rail passengers for years to come.”