Alstom


has
signed
a
contract
worth
£50
million
with
FirstGroup
and
Eversholt
Rail
to
refurbish
and
maintain
five
6-car
Class
222
Meridian
trains
which
will
be
used
next
year
on
FirstGroup’s
new
open
access
service
between
London
Euston
and
Stirling.

The
contract
has
two
components.
One,
worth
10
million
pounds,
is
for
the
refurbishment
of
the
222s,
which
were
built
by
Bombardier
and
entered
service
with
the
Midland
Mainline
franchise
in
2004.
The
other
part,
worth
40
million
pounds,
is
for
maintenance
of
the
fleet
for
five
years
from
2026.
The
work
will
be
carried
out
at
Alstom’s
Central
Rivers
depot
in
Burton
upon
Trent,
where
the
similar
Class
220
and
221
Voyagers
are
maintained.
The
depot
was
acquired
by
Alstom
when
it
took
over
Bombardier
in
2021.

The
refurbishment,
which
has
been
agreed
with
Eversholt
Rail,
will
be
carried
out
at
Alstom’s
centre
in
Widnes.
New
ergonomically
designed
seating
will
be
fitted,
along
with
upgraded
Wi-Fi
and
Intelligent
Engine
Start-Stop
technology,
which
automatically
shuts
down
and
restarts
the
engines
when
the
train
is
stationary,
saving
fuel
and
emissions.
The
five
trains
will
also
receive
a
full
repaint
in
FirstGroup’s
blue
Lumo
livery.

Peter
Broadley,
who
is
commercial
director
UK
and
Ireland
at
Alstom,
said:
‘This
partnership
marks
a
significant
milestone
in
our
commitment
to
delivering
high-performance,
customer-focused
rail
services
across
the
UK.
By
combining
Alstom’s
deep
technical
expertise
with
the
operational
excellence
of
FirstGroup
and
Eversholt
Rail,
we’re
ensuring
that
fare-paying
passengers
benefit
from
a
modern,
reliable
and
comfortable
travel
experience
between
Stirling
and
London.
The
investment
in
both
refurbishment
and
long-term
support
reflects
our
shared
ambition
to
drive
innovation
and
sustainability
in
rail
transport,’

FirstGroup
chief
executive
Graham
Sutherland
said:
‘We
are
pleased
to
work
with
Eversholt
Rail
and
Alstom
on
the
rolling
stock
element
of
our
new
service
between
London
and
Stirling.
This
new
route
is
another
important
step
towards
rolling
out
Lumo
as
a
nationwide
operator
and
growing
our
open
access
capacity,
a
key
priority
for
FirstGroup.
Our
investment
and
capabilities
in
open
access
rail
have
delivered
reliable,
value
for
money
services,
grown
rail
demand
and
helped
to
spur
economic
growth
and
connect
communities.
We
look
forward
to
doing
the
same
on
our
new
services.’

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