Alstom has successfully completed a £25 million refurbishment of South Western Railway’s Class 458 fleet.
The upgrade, financed by Porterbrook, the UK’s leading rolling stock financier and asset manager, has significantly enhanced the passenger experience on these trains. Each of the 28 four-car units has undergone a comprehensive refurbishment at Alstom’s Widnes facility, including:
- Improved seating: 234 seats with back tables and charging points.
- Enhanced accessibility: Space for two wheelchair users.
- Wireless charging: Tables equipped with wireless charging points.
- Upgraded performance: Reconfigured vehicles for faster acceleration and a top speed of 100mph.
“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,” said Peter Broadley, Services Managing Director UK and Ireland at Alstom.
He added: “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.”
“We’re excited to welcome our newly refurbished Class 458 fleet back to the network. These upgraded trains provide a significantly enhanced customer experience, with improved seating and tables, new charging points, as well as space for two wheelchair users,” said Neil Drury, Engineering and Infrastructure Director at South Western Railway.
He added: “We are grateful to Alstom and Porterbrook for partnering with us on this successful project, and to SWR colleagues for their hard work getting the trains back into service, which will strengthen capacity on our busy suburban network.”
The 28, four-car Class 458 trains will be designated as Class 458/4. The eight remaining five-car units will be designated as Class 458/5.
“Our Class 458s have proudly served South Western Railway’s routes for the last 25 years. We know that the needs of passengers evolve over time, so it’s important that our trains do the same, and that’s why we continually invest in our fleets to ensure they continue to meet expectations,” said Andy Bagguley, Fleet Services Director at Porterbrook.
“Thank you to our partners at SWR and Alstom, and to all the companies who supported the successful delivery of this complex project.”
