South Western Railway (SWR) has announced that as part of its £1.2bn investment plans, it has signed contracts with Siemens worth £50m to refurbish its Class 444 and 450 fleet.

Work will start in December 2017. It will feature a full internal refurbishment, including power points at seats for mobile charging.

Refurbishment will also include real-time information displays.

The refurbishment work will take place at Eastleigh.

The refurbishment will see local suppliers, such as Axminster Carpets, take part in the refurbishment.

What did the officials at South Western Railway and Siemens say?

Neil Drury, Engineering Director, SWR, said “We are delighted to have appointed Siemens to carry out the refurbishment of our Class 444 and 450 Desiros. This significant investment in our fleet of trains will see a step change for our customers, and investment in local facilities and suppliers. We have a long relationship with Siemens, who I am confident will deliver a high quality product.”

Vernon Barker, MD of Rail Systems, Siemens, said “Siemens is proud to secure this major partnership with South Western Railway. We have worked closely with the operator’s parent companies FirstGroup and MTR throughout their bid for the new franchise.”

• Visit the South Western Railway Website
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