South Western Railway (SWR) has taken a significant step towards enhancing passenger experience with the launch of the first refurbished Class 458 units on its UK network. These units, 458415, 458420, and 458422, now sport the updated SWR livery and will initially operate eight-car services on the London Waterloo to Weybridge route via Brentford, as well as the London Waterloo to Twickenham route.
Alstom’s Transport Technology Centre in Widnes has played a crucial role in this project, refurbishing 17 of SWR’s Class 458 trains, with 11 more scheduled for upgrade. Each four-car unit boasts 234 seats in a two-by-two arrangement, offering passengers enhanced comfort with seat back tables, charging points, and designated spaces for two wheelchair users. A modern touch is added with two tables in each carriage equipped with wireless charging capabilities.
The refurbishment process at Widnes, which takes two weeks per unit, has not only reconfigured the vehicles for faster acceleration but also replaced all carpets. Further enhancements were undertaken at Alstom’s historic Crewe facility, involving overhauling the powered wheelsets. This overhaul allows the trains to reach speeds of 100 mph, a significant increase from the previous 75 mph.
Alstom’s Widnes facility, inaugurated in 2017, is the UK’s largest and most advanced centre for train modernisation. The Crewe site, Alstom’s UK Centre of Excellence for Bogie and Traction Motor Overhaul, has a remarkable track record of overhauling more than 20,000 bogies for the UK rail market in the past decade. Looking ahead, Alstom will be responsible for assembling and maintaining all bogies for the High Speed Two (HS2) trains at Crewe, which will reach speeds of 225 mph.
The £25 million investment in refurbishing the Class 458 trains has generated nearly 70 jobs at the Widnes and Crewe sites, with UK suppliers also benefiting from this project. Porterbrook, a leading train asset management company in the UK, provided the financial backing for the refurbishment.
“The team at Widnes has worked diligently to install new seating, tables and at-seat power throughout the trains, which all meet the evolving needs of fare-paying passengers in the South of England,” said John Clerk, Head of Operations for Widnes at Alstom. He emphasized, “The refurbishment of these Class 458 units not only highlights our expertise in train modernisation but also our dedication to sustainable transport solutions, as we work in partnership with operators and rolling stock leasing companies to encourage more people to travel by rail.”
Originally intended for the London Waterloo to Portsmouth Harbour route via Guildford, the Class 458 trains will temporarily serve SWR’s suburban network due to changes in travel patterns post-COVID-19. This interim arrangement will remain in place until the full deployment of SWR’s new fleet of 90 Class 701 Aventra trains, branded Arterio, built by Alstom in Derby.
“We are very pleased to introduce the first of our refurbished Class 458 units. Their interior refresh, including improved seating and newly installed tables and charging points, will make a noticeable difference to our customers’ journeys,” stated Neil Drury, South Western Railway’s Engineering and Infrastructure Director. He further added, “The Class 458/4 fleet will play an important role as we work towards the full introduction of our fleet of 90 new Arterio trains. The first unit to enter service today will operate services between London Waterloo and Weybridge via Hounslow, with subsequent units being deployed where customers need them most.”
The 28 four-car Class 458 trains will be designated as Class 458/4, while the remaining eight five-car units will be designated as Class 458/5. These initial units will commence service on Monday, 24 June, operating the following routes via Brentford:
The Class 458 Juniper (5-JUP) electric multiple units (EMUs) were originally constructed by Alstom at Washwood Heath in Birmingham between 1998 and 2002 for South West Trains.
