01.09.15
ScotRail unveils first of 40 restored Class 158s
ScotRail unveiled today the first of 40 revamped Class 158 trains as part of a wider £14m modernisation project.
The first carriage will leave the depot tomorrow (2 September) in preparation for the opening day of the new Borders Railway.
Work is being carried out at the Knorr-Bremse RailServices’ Springburn facility in Glasgow, with 14 additional staff recruited specifically for the overhaul project.
The two-carriage trains, built in Derby from 1989-92, are all to get the new 'Saltire' livery and have their interiors fitted with modern carpets, finishes and toilets.
The 137-seat trains will also be equipped with new CCTV systems and automatic passenger-counting systems.
The fleet, which is being upgraded with Scotland’s "scenic railways" in mind, is being funded by ScotRail and jointly managed by Porterbrook.
Derek Mackay, minister for transport and islands, said: “We are investing record amounts in Scotland’s railways and, with passenger numbers increasing by more than six million last year, these refurbished trains will further improve the travel experience.
“Passengers will soon see more of these refurbished trains rolling out on routes all over Scotland and, fittingly, the first carriages off the production line will start their journey as part of the historic Borders Railway launch, with all the benefits that will bring for the Border, Midlothian and Edinburgh economy.”
The new trains will be introduced at a rate of around one a month between now and April 2018 on several routes across Scotland, including:
- Inverness - Aberdeen/Kyle/Wick
- Glasgow Queen Street - Stirling/Dunblane/Alloa
- Glasgow Queen Street - Falkirk Grahamston
- Glasgow Queen Street - Anniesland via Maryhill
- Edinburgh - Dunblane/Perth/Glasgow Central via Shotts
- Edinburgh Waverley/Glasgow Queen Street - Perth/Dundee/Aberdeen/Inverness
- Fife Circle.