08.07.13
FCC’s Class 365s to get interior refresh
First Capital Connect has announced the details of its Class 365 interior refresh, to be delivered at the same time as their scheduled C6 overhaul at Railcare’s Wolverton facility.
The Class 365s in service on the Great Northern Route between King’s Cross and Peterborough, Cambridge and King’s Lynn will get “fresh interiors and enhanced accessibility features”, the TOC said, as part of the wider £31m heavy maintenance project.
The 40 four-carriage trains in the FCC fleet were built by ABB at York from 1994-5.
Rolling stock owner Eversholt is funding the work, with the first refreshed train due back in service at the end of this year.
As with other fleets, from early next year accessibility changes are being made to bring the vehicles in line with new regulations – a new wheelchair-accessible toilet in each four-carriage train; two wheelchair spaces instead of one, with companion seating; and a new fully automated passenger information system with audio announcements as well as visual. These changes will be retrofitted to those units that have already been through the programme, FCC said.
The full programme will take three and a half years.
David Statham, managing director of First Capital Connect, said: “Everything our passengers tell us shows that a clean and comfortable travelling environment is important to them. This major investment in one of our biggest fleets of trains will give us just that – a brighter, new-look train cabin with better information and better facilities for people with disabilities.”
Eversholt Rail (UK) Ltd CEO Mary Kenny said: “We are delighted to be funding this investment in the Class 365 fleet and helping to improve the journey experience for FCC’s passengers. We believe refurbishment is an efficient way of bringing benefits to both the train operators and users.”
Jamie Borgeat, commercial director for Railcare, added: “Taking the opportunity to invest in additional refresh work and ensure the trains meet the latest standards for people of restricted mobility whilst they are undergoing a scheduled C6 overhaul makes great sense and reduces downtime. We are committed to ensuring that we deliver the trains back into reliable passenger service on time.”
Railcare recently completed the C6X overhaul of Eversholt’s Class 465s at Wolverton.
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