UK: Leasing company Beacon Rail has formally awarded Alstom a £60m contract to refurbish CrossCountry’s fleet of Voyager and Super Voyager 200 km/h inter-city diesel-electric multiple-units.
The work will include an interior refresh with replacement seats, tables and carpets, improved lighting, a passenger counting system and repainting in a new livery.
The contract covers 136 Class 220 Voyager and 176 Class 221 Super Voyager cars built by Bombardier Transportation in 2000-02; this includes 12 trainsets totalling 60 cars which are to be transferred from Avanti West Coast.
‘Not only will the refurbishment delight fare-paying customers with increased levels of comfort and accessibility, the overhaul programme will support UK suppliers and skilled jobs across the country’, said Peter Broadley, Alstom Managing Director Services UK & Ireland when the contract signing was announced on August 19.
Design work is to start immediately, with the refurbishments to be carried out at Alstom’s Derby site in 2025-27. Around 100 Alstom staff will work on the contract, supported by more in the supply chain.
In 2023 Alstom had warned that the future of the Derby plant was in doubt because of a lack of future work, but in June it was awarded a contract to supply further 10 nine-car Class 345 Aventra electric multiple-units for London’s Elizabeth Line.
