Published on: Tuesday, 10 February 2015
Last updated: Wednesday, 5 October 2016
The last of Abellio Greater Anglia’s Class153 trains to undergo a refurbishment programme has returned to passengerservice.
The £300K works to upgrade the train operator’sfive Class 153 trains was funded by owning company, Porterbrook, and included:
The installation of new, energy efficient LEDinternal lighting
- New carpets
- Deep cleaning of seat covers
- The installation of more energy efficientheater units
- Replacement internal side (dado) panels
- Replacement of all large windows withlaminated glass
- Renewal of door control equipment
- Improvements to the driving cab, such asseating and desk adjustments
- External repaint in Abellio Greater Anglialivery
The final train to be completed, 153314, enteredpassenger service on Tuesday 27 January on the train operator’s local branchlines between Ipswich and Cambridge and Ipswich and Felixstowe, and will alsooperate services from Ipswich to Lowestoft and Norwich to Sheringham, Cromer,Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft.
Following the refurbishment, AbellioGreater Anglia invested a further £9K in a complete internal repaint and newtables for 153314. The train operator’s remaining four 153 units will now alsoreceive an interior repaint and new tables during 2015, with the work beingcarried out at the company’s Crown Point Depot, Norwich.
Abellio Greater Anglia’s Customer ServiceDirector, Andrew Goodrum, said, “I am delighted that this extensive upgrade toour fleet of 153 trains will deliver a significantly improved travellingenvironment for rail passengers in Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire withbetter levels of lighting, heating, new carpets throughout and a fresh coat ofpaint externally and internally.
The work was carried out by KBRS atWolverton Works, Milton Keynes.