03.06.15
Eversholt awards contract to refurbish its Class 321 fleet
Eversholt Rail has awarded a £60m contract to Wabtec to refurbish its fleet of Class 321 EMUs.
The contract was signed on 28 May and covers engineering development for the refurbishment programme, as well as the overhaul of an initial batch of 30 four-car units which are due to return to service between spring 2016 and late 2017.
The work is to be undertaken at a dedicated production facility at Wabtec’s Doncaster site.
The leasing company has been working with Wabtec since July 2014 to develop a plan to bring a high quality refurbished passenger train fleet to market. This included the production of a demonstrator unit, featuring two styles of interior, which was used to gather operator and passenger feedback over 15 months in service.
The newly refurbished Class 321, which Eversholt is calling ‘Renatus’, is intended to deliver “exceptional customer service, maintainability and cost effectiveness and create the look and feel of a new train”.
Andy Course, chief operating officer of Eversholt Rail Group, said: “We started this phase of the project in July 2014 and it is incredible to see what has been achieved in such a short space of time. Our partnership with Wabtec will raise the bar on what can be achieved in a mid-life upgrade and will deliver a great and cost-effective transformation in passenger experience.”
Ray Betler, president of Wabtec Corporation, added: “We are pleased to be working with Eversholt Rail Group on this innovative project over the coming years. We have already invested in a new dedicated production facility in Doncaster with state of the art systems and processes and I am looking forward to delivering an exceptional product for passengers and operators.”
The EMUs to be refurbished are currently leased to Abellio Greater Anglia but are not committed for use beyond the end of the current franchise in October 2016.
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