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Title: 'As new' ^7.5m upgrade to Arriva Trains Wales fleet (BBC News 02/08/2010) Post by: JayMac on August 08, 2010, 15:24:25 From the BBC (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-10817637):
Quote A ^7.5m upgrade of trains on mainline routes from Wales has been announced. The investment to Arriva Trains Wales will take place over 18 months, with the latest stage of work on the trains due to start in December. It includes new seating, luggage areas and toilets, aiming to bring "as new" interiors to old carriages. "We hope these refurbishments will get more people out of their cars and on to our trains," said Transport Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones. "There is strong growth in the number of people travelling on train services in Wales and we are investing in these improvements to make people's journeys more comfortable and more enjoyable." Mr Jones said the investment was building on improvements to stations. (http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/tt68/bignosemac/atwrefresh.jpg) Arriva Trains Wales commercial director Mike Bagshaw said it would help deliver "a step change in quality" and benefit millions of passengers travelling on main line routes. The aim is to provide "as new" interiors on existing carriages. He told BBC Wales the improvements would include power sockets at some seats on longer routes, enabling people to work on laptops during their journey, and extra luggage room. The announcement will also help improve wheelchair access on services. "We've been investing in the fleet in the Valley Lines trains. It's now time to turn the attention to the mainline fleet," Mr Bagshaw said. "Two trains have already been refurbished. We are taking one train out [at a time and] there will be no disruption to passengers while it goes on." Asked why the company was receiving funding from the assembly government for the work, he added: "We are a subsidised business, therefore we do require a subsidy from the Welsh Assembly Government." The investment will involve the company's 24-strong class 158 Sprinter fleet of trains, including routes from south, mid and north Wales. It will also go towards the class 153 Sprinter fleet, where work has already started at Arriva Trains Wales' depot in Canton, Cardiff. There is also work underway refurbishing trains which run from north and south Wales to Manchester. Title: Re: 'As new' ^7.5m upgrade to Arriva Trains Wales fleet (BBC News 02/08/2010) Post by: inspector_blakey on August 08, 2010, 21:11:08 Welcome news, but not before time! I haven't had the pleasure of travelling on an ATW 158 in a little while now, since the west Wales service switched over to principally 175 operation (on MAN-MFD) and 153s (on SWA-PMD). They were looking rather tired and sorry for themselves back then, and I don't suppose they've improved in the meantime. The 153s have had a "refresh", but that was limited almost entirely to new seat coverings and fitting CCTV.
Even the relatively new 175s are now looking quite, erm, "lived-in" internally, they see pretty heavy usage and ATW don't seem to keep up with the internal maintenance in the same way FGW did with the 180s. Title: Re: 'As new' ^7.5m upgrade to Arriva Trains Wales fleet (BBC News 02/08/2010) Post by: JayMac on August 08, 2010, 21:41:09 Those 175s are indeed looking 'lived in'. My thought was 'falling apart at the seams' (at least internally) the last time I took one from Newport to Hereford.
Title: Re: 'As new' ^7.5m upgrade to Arriva Trains Wales fleet (BBC News 02/08/2010) Post by: Mookiemoo on August 08, 2010, 23:21:03 Now you see - I don't mind them - the 158s have lots of tables
175s less so I prefer the 158s since they tend to have toilets with water in rather than suction (bleugh). However I'd take any of them over any dmu run by london midland Title: Re: 'As new' ^7.5m upgrade to Arriva Trains Wales fleet (BBC News 02/08/2010) Post by: inspector_blakey on August 09, 2010, 04:32:20 Don't suppose the seating arrangement is going to change much in either class on a budget of ^7.5m for the fleet, so I think the tables will be safe!
Edited to add... After watching the Beeb's video on the news website, it looks like they've done a nice job on that 153. Will have to see if I can score one of those on a PMD service next time I'm heading back home. Title: Re: 'As new' ^7.5m upgrade to Arriva Trains Wales fleet (BBC News 02/08/2010) Post by: Jez on August 11, 2010, 22:10:09 I dont mind the 175's - I regularly use them for travelling between South Wales and Manchester. They could do with a refresh tho but arent too bad.
I think the 158's are long overdue a refresh. Title: Re: 'As new' ^7.5m upgrade to Arriva Trains Wales fleet (BBC News 02/08/2010) Post by: Andypandy on September 23, 2010, 21:00:02 I dont mind the 175s either. Travelled Hereford to Newport today on a "upgraded" 175 and wasnt thrilled by it. New seat covers rather than new seats so not terribly comfy,and didnt look like it fitted very well in the frame and interesting colours,bit dull compared to the purple but it doesnt look as worn out which i am pleased to see but hey ho it is the other fleet that needs it more. My other little moan over! Must be the weather! =P
Title: Re: 'As new' ^7.5m upgrade to Arriva Trains Wales fleet (BBC News 02/08/2010) Post by: inspector_blakey on January 09, 2011, 18:40:24 Sorry to dredge up an old thread here, but I travelled on one of ATW's refurbished 175s the other day and I have to say I wasn't hugely impressed.
Suffice it to say that the extent of the "refurbishment" appears to have been new seat covers and carpets. The toilets are untouched (and on this service, despite it being fresh off the depot at 0805 on a Saturday morning, was running low on toilet paper with a non-functioning hand dryer), seat frames are still bashed, scuffed and chipped etc etc. Title: Re: 'As new' ^7.5m upgrade to Arriva Trains Wales fleet (BBC News 02/08/2010) Post by: 6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01 on January 09, 2011, 20:45:11 humm i cant see huge amounts of money being spent on the 175's, they are new in comparison to the 153's and 158's i would guess that they are just having a refresh and the bulk of the money being spent on the sprinters
Title: Re: 'As new' ^7.5m upgrade to Arriva Trains Wales fleet (BBC News 02/08/2010) Post by: Jez on January 09, 2011, 23:21:34 Yes the 175's have had a refresh, new seats and carpets etc. Have yet to travel on a refurbished 158 or 153.
Title: Re: 'As new' ^7.5m upgrade to Arriva Trains Wales fleet (BBC News 02/08/2010) Post by: devon_metro on January 09, 2011, 23:25:40 Yes the 175's have had a refresh, new seats and carpets etc. Have yet to travel on a refurbished 158 or 153. Same story. Complete and utter bodge job from Arriva. Glad I never have to travel in Wales away from the Swansea - Newport mainline. This page is printed from the "Coffee Shop" forum at http://gwr.passenger.chat which is provided by a customer of Great Western Railway. Views expressed are those of the individual posters concerned. Visit www.gwr.com for the official Great Western Railway website. Please contact the administrators of this site if you feel that content provided contravenes our posting rules ( see http://railcustomer.info/1761 ). The forum is hosted by Well House Consultants - http://www.wellho.net |