Published on: Friday, 11 December 2015
Last updated: Wednesday, 5 October 2016
Train operator has more than doubled its planned investment over its shortfranchise
Abellio Greater Anglia is to invest afurther £3.5 million in service improvements across its network.
The additional funding means that thecompany will have invested more than £40 million in service upgrades over thecourse of its current short franchise from July 2014 to October 2016 - morethan double the planned £20 million announced at the start of the franchise.The extra spend will deliver the following key improvements:
An interior refresh for a further ten ofthe company's Class 317 fleet (10 x 317/5 trains) used on West Anglia servicesbetween London and Broxbourne, Hertford East, Harlow, Bishops Stortford andCambridge. All 40 carriages will receivenew standard seat covers and vinyl flooring, new First Class seat covers, trimand carpets, interiors re-sprayed and new signage applied. This project followson from a similar upgrade programme for the company's 24 Class 317/6 trains,which has just been completed three weeks ahead of schedule. The work toimprove the ten Class 317/5 trains will be undertaken by Abellio GreaterAnglia’s fleet maintenance team at the company’s Clacton-on-Sea Depot and willmean 34 of the company's 45 Class 317 trains will have been refreshed when theprogramme is completed
Further investment in fleet reliabilityprojects
More resources to further raise trainpresentation and cleaning standards
Additional investment in stationpresentation and painting schemes Renewal of station clocks at 7 stations(Billericay, Colchester Town, Hatfield Peveral, Kelvedon, Shenfield, Stowmarketand Wickford)
Further investment in on-train announcementsystems
These further upgrades are in addition to more than £36.5 million worth ofinvestment committed in improvements including:
The major refresh programme for the all theintercity carriages used on the Norwich - Ipswich - Colchester - London linewith plug points; new LED lighting; new carpets; new tables; new seat covers;upgraded environmentally-friendly controlled emission toilets with new floorsand new taps; and the re-painting of both carriage interior saloons and thevestibule panels, walls and ceilings. (more than a third of the carriages arenow complete).
Refresh of 67 Class 321 units used onservices to Southend, Chelmsford, Witham, Braintree, Colchester, Clacton,Harwich and Ipswich
New seat covers and a heavy clean for the21 Class 360 units used on services to Chelmsford, Witham, Colchester, Clactonand Ipswich
Station upgrades at 54 stations
Reliability modifications across thecompany's train fleets
A significant increase in train and stationcleaning staff, plus other resources and equipment to enable improved cleaningstandards
Hire of an additional set of intercityMkIII carriages to improve vehicle availability and seating capacity during theintercity carriage upgrade programme
Additional customer service and cateringstaff
Improvements to customer information andextension of the Twitter service to a 24 hour facility
Jamie Burles, Managing Director of AbellioGreater Anglia said: "This additional £3.5 million investment in raisingservice standards demonstrates our ongoing commitment to deliver a betterservice for our customers. We have now more than doubled the investment weannounced at the start of our short franchise in 2014, with over £40 millionnow being spent on refreshing and refurbishing trains, upgrading stations,improving train cleanliness and providing better information to passengers.
“Despite two short franchises we have beenfully focused on delivering short term improvements as well as helping tosecure the long term investment that our region's rail network deserves. Weknow there is more to do to achieve the quality and consistency of service ourcustomers rightly expect and we will keep on doing all we can to improve trainservices across our network through to the end of our current franchise."