East London and South Essex rail firm Trenitalia c2c Ltd is celebrating a major operational milestone as its fleet of 357 Electrostar trains clock up 150 million service miles.
c2c’s instantly recognisable fleet of 357 ‘Electrostar’ trains have recently completed an incredible 150 million service miles – that’s an average of 2 million miles per unit and roughly equates to a trip from Earth to Mars!
357 trains were introduced to the c2c line in the early 2000s, replacing the ‘slam-door’ trains which had served the route with British Rail for many years beforehand.
One million miles (on average per unit) were passed in 2013, and the combined fleet total of 100 million was achieved in 2017. Since 2016, the fleet has operated more than seven-million-unit miles each year, that’s an incredible 175,000 trips between Shoeburyness and London Fenchurch Street.
Commenting on the 150 million miles milestone, c2c’s Operations and Engineering Director, Laura McEwen, said, “Our trusted and recognisable 357s have been synonymous with c2c and our route since they were first introduced over 20 years ago.
“Each year c2c continues to achieve some of the best punctuality and reliability figures of any train operator in the country, and it is no coincidence that our fleet of 357 trains are behind these excellent results.
“Our award-winning engineering and maintenance teams work around the clock, seven days a week, to ensure our 357s are ready to serve the tens of thousands of customers they carry each day.”
c2c's 357 ‘Electrostar’ trains are recognised by the wider industry as being one of the most trusted and reliable trains in the country, and have led to c2c being awarded prestigious ‘Golden Spanner’ and ‘Golden Whistle’ awards in recent years.
Laura added:
“Our 357 trains have plenty of life and millions of miles left in them yet, and they will continue to serve our customers – supported by our new Aventra Class 720 trains – for years to come.”
Image credit: c2c
