South Western Railway has announced that it is to overhaul 18 Class 442 EMUs with the contract being signed with Kiepe Electric.

The 442s will operate between London Waterloo and Portsmouth.

The Electric Multiple Units were withdrawn from Govia Thameslink Railway in the last franchise.

Angel Trains, who owns the 442s, will fund the refurbishments and will recover the cost through through the lease charges.

SWR will overhaul the interiors with new seating and screens, as well as charging points.

The project will also involve converting DC traction to AC.

The 442s will operate betweeen London and Portsmouth via Guildford, Haslemere and Petersfield from December 2018.

SWR will carry out their refurbishment at Eastleigh and then the 442s will be maintained at the Bournemouth Depot.

What did the officials say?

Neil Drury, SWR engineering director said: “We are delighted to have appointed Kiepe Electric to carry out the refurbishment and retraction of our incoming fleet of Class 442 trains. They have an excellent track record in this field and we know that they will produce a high quality product for our customers which will include refurbished interiors, new information systems and improved performance.”

• Visit the South Western Railway Website
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