Thameslink £3.6m refresh leaves trains gleaming

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Passengers using Thameslink, which recently transferred to public ownership, are set to benefit from cleaner, fresher trains. A major makeover of its 115-strong fleet is under way, which will improve passenger experience on board.

£3.6m is being invested in polishing 46km of exteriors across 1,140 carriages to a gleaming white finish, as well as repainting toilets and applying smart new interior wall vinyls to deter graffiti and make it easier to clean after any attack. Every area onboard is also being deep steam-cleaned at the Sussex depot in Three Bridges. (See editor’s notes.)

The Class 700 polishing project and toilet refresh is funded by the Department for Transport and Greater Thameslink Railway and delivered in partnership with Siemens.

Rail Minister Lord Peter Hendy said:

“These improvements show how passengers are being prioritised under public ownership and, as we move towards Great British Railways, making sure that travelling by train is a comfortable and positive experience.

“This refresh on Thameslink services is just the start. Under public ownership, passengers not shareholders will be prioritised to deliver a safer, cleaner and more reliable railway.”

Greater Thameslink Railway Interim CEO John Whitehurst said:

“Boosting customer satisfaction is a priority for us, so we’re delighted to bring tangible improvements to our Thameslink train fleet which passengers will really appreciate.

“By making our trains more attractive, we will encourage more people to choose rail across the vast Thameslink network, connecting communities as far apart as Cambridge and Brighton.”

Aglaja Schneider, Joint CEO at Siemens Mobility UKI, said:

“This is what effective rail partnerships deliver – our teams are restoring 46km of train exteriors to a gleaming finish, while GTR’s teams are deep-cleaning every carriage to the highest standard. Thameslink passengers deserve a quality experience on board, and together we’re making that a reality across all 115 trains. It’s part of our wider ambition to transform rail travel and transport for communities right across the UK.”

The refresh is part of a passenger-driven improvement plan now firmly under way at the UK’s largest train operating company after it joined the fast-growing family of publicly owned operators on 31 May.

It is just one of the improvements passengers will see ahead of the formal establishment of Great British Railways by the end of 2027.

GTR will deliver a range of initiatives to improve performance and passenger experience, such as doubling the number of services between Gatwick Airport and London Victoria every hour from December.

Other commitments are to:

• Recruit more drivers to reduce delays: GTR’s ongoing train crew recruitment will deliver an additional 75 drivers across Thameslink and Great Northern this year as drivers complete their training, with an uplift of 40 drivers at Southern and Gatwick Express this year too. The increase in drivers will help improve train crew availability and reduce cancellations.
• Create safer services: 110 Travel Safe Officers are being trained to support revenue protection, improve security and combat anti-social behaviour.
• Upgrade signalling to reduce cancellations: Secondary signalling system between Farringdon and Blackfriars to reduce delays and boost resilience. Improvements expected to prevent over 1,000 cancellations a year.
• Establish better customer communication: passengers will be able to get support when there is disruption from staff directly via a customer support WhatsApp channel. GTR is also adding more online payment options for customers.

The work on the Thameslink trains forms part of wider fleet refurbishment plans at GTR, in which 304 Southern Electrostar trains are steadily being overhauled at Selhurst Depot in South London. Trains on this ‘C6’ programme undergo a full inspection before receiving a repaint, new seat upholstery and carpet – along with buses to silence squeaky tables Squeaky seat-back train tables given the silent treatment | GTR

ENDS

Notes to editors

Thameslink train polishing: The full programme of polishing is expected to be finished by the end of the year.

Before polishing can begin, each carriage needs to be thoroughly cleaned by hand. This preparation is led by GTR Engineering teams and takes place at Bedford Carriage Sidings, Hornsey and Three Bridges depots.

The Thameslink fleet includes 60 x 8-carriage trains that are 163m in length and 55 x 12-carriage trains which are 242.6m long. End-to-end they would stretch 23km, creating 46km of exterior side walls to be polished clean.

Thameslink train toilet refresh: Toilet walls that have been targeted with graffiti must first be repainted to create a base for the vinyls to be applied. About a third of the 115-strong Class 700 fleet has been through this programme which is expected to complete in 30 weeks’ time.

Thameslink train interior deep clean: This programme will be completed in two months’ time.