The upgrades are being carried out on Northern’s Class 333s that operate services in North and West Yorkshire from Skipton to Bradford Forster Square and from Leeds to Ilkley.
The upgrade work will see the installation of high-definition CCTV cameras, USB charging points and plug sockets, and brighter LED lighting and digital display screens to keep customers up to date with real-time information.
The improvements mark the latest stage of Northern’s multi-million-pound digital upgrade programme and will provide enhanced customer experience on journeys with new trains and improved stations.
Tricia Williams, chief operating officer at Northern, said: “It’s fantastic to add the Class 333 trains to the roll call of refurbished units out on the network.
“Our customers are at the heart of everything we do, and we are committed to delivering further improvements for our passengers to enjoy.
“I am grateful to our partners across the industry, including Angel Trains, Yellow Rail and our own team at Northern, who have worked hard to deliver the refurbishments and I look forward to seeing more and more refurbished carriages take to the rails in the coming months.”
David Jordan, chief operating officer of Angel Trains, said: “It is exciting to see the Class 333s undergo refurbishment which will dramatically improve journeys for Northern passengers. We have enjoyed working with our industry partners at Northern and Yellow Rail and look forward to seeing more of these upgraded units on the tracks soon.”
Northern operates approximately 2,000 services each day to over 500 stations in the North of England and is the second-largest rail operator in the UK.
Responses
I think that Northern will not be replacing them for probably 15-20 years. Unlike the Class 332 that were replaced by the Class 387 used on Heathrow Express and have been scrapped with one or two preserved by Siemens.