Alstom unveils first refurbished train as part of £60m contract

Alstom has unveiled the first refurbished CrossCountry Voyager train as part of a £60 million contract.

At a ceremony held at its Litchurch Lane Works, the firm lifted the lid on the first refreshed train, which features new seats, tables and flooring.

The CrossCountry Voyager fleet is currently undergoing a major interior and exterior refresh at Alstom’s Derby site, delivering a brighter, more comfortable experience for passengers.

At the recent unveiling, invited guests toured the train to experience the improvements first-hand.

Steve Harvey, Alstom’s services director for the UK and Ireland, said: “This milestone reflects the strength of Alstom’s refurbishment capabilities in the UK and the expertise of our team in Derby.

“Upgrading a fleet as intensively used as the Voyagers demands precision, innovation and deep technical knowledge – and our people have delivered exactly that.

“I’m proud of the quality and dedication our team has brought to the first Voyager to leave Litchurch Lane and I know that same commitment will define every train we deliver throughout this programme.”

The long-distance Voyager fleet has been a cornerstone of Britain’s railways for over two decades, operating across the CrossCountry network, from Aberdeen, Scotland, to Penzance, England.

They are maintained, serviced and overhauled by Alstom at its Central Rivers Depot. in Staffordshire, while the refurbishment has been carried out by around 130 staff at Litchurch Lane.

Legacy Alstom trains, the Voyagers are operated by CrossCountry and owned by rolling stock company Beacon.

Celebrating its 150th birthday this year, Alstom’s Litchurch Lane site is the UK’s largest and oldest operating train factory.

It is also the only facility in the country able to design, engineer, build and test trains for UK and export markets, which it offers alongside vehicle modernisation and refurbishment capabilities.

Alstom is the UK’s leading supplier of new trains and train services, with 63% of the country’s installed train fleet supported by the company around the clock – and made possible by around 3,000 colleagues across 30 depots.

Alstom said that the first refreshed Voyager train is set to be back on the tracks soon.

Over the next two years, a total of 136 Voyager (Class 220) and 176 Super Voyager (Class 221) cars will be refurbished by Alstom in Derby, including an additional 12 trains added to the CrossCountry fleet following their release from Avanti West Coast.