Alstom has completed a £25 million upgrade of South Western Railway‘s (SWR) twenty-eight Class 458 electric multiple units.

For each set, the refurbishment took two weeks to complete and was carried out at Alstom’s Transport Technology Centre at Widnes in Cheshire.

Each unit is now configured with 234 seats in a two-by-two formation, with all seats having seat back tables and charging points, as well as two tables fitted with wireless charging points, Each unit has new carpets throughout and space for two wheelchair users, and all carriage exteriors carry South Western Railway’s updated SWR livery.

The Class 458’s powered wheelsets were overhauled at Alstom’s historic Crewe Works, and the maximum operating speed has increased from 75 mph to 100mph and they have been reconfigured for faster acceleration .

Completion of the project came last Thursday, 12th December, when the final unit No. 458414 after a special event at the Widnes facility, which was marked by Widnes Industrial Engineer, Hannah Temple revealing a drawing of the refurbishment that she had created.

The 28 refurbished units are four-car Class 458 trains, and are now designated as Class 458/4. They will enter service in the spring, with two units combined to operate eight-car services across South Western Railway’s suburban network. There are still eight five-car units remaining, and they will be designated as Class 458/5.

Alstom’s Widnes facility opened in 2017 and is the UK’s largest and most sophisticated centre for train modernisation. It works alongside Alstom’s UK Centre of Excellence for Bogie and Traction Motor Overhaul at Crewe, which has overhauled over 20,000 bogies during the past ten years. It is also the location bogies for HS2’s new 225mph trains will be assembled and maintained.

During their refurbishment, work on the Class 458 trains supported almost 70 roles at Widnes and Crewe, and UK suppliers have benefitted from more than 80% of the £25 million investment.

“This refurbishment demonstrates Alstom’s commitment to delivering smarter, more sustainable and passenger-focused mobility solutions. The work completed at Widnes and Crewe not only enhances the passenger experience on the Class 458 fleet, but also showcases the value of British engineering and our investment in local expertise. We are proud to have supported South Western Railway and Porterbrook in this significant programme, ensuring that these trains are ready to provide better journeys for customers across London and the South East of England.”

Peter Broadley, Services Managing Director UK and Ireland at Alstom