Refurbishment of Electrostar Trains
A £100 million project to refurbish over 300 Electrostar trains used across the Govia Thameslink (GTR) network has been completed.
The project, which took five years to finish, is thought to be the largest fleet upgrade in modern times. It was carried out in-house by GTR staff at the Selhurst depot, without the need for a third-party refurbishment company.
The train operator, GTR, runs trains under the Thameslink, Great Northern, Southern, and Gatwick Express names. The refurbishment process was complex, typically involving multiple companies, including the train builder (Bombardier, now Alstom), the train owners (Porterbrook), and the maintenance company.
No single train was sent off-site for refurbishment.
Author's summary: GTR completed a £100 million project to refurbish 300 Electrostar trains in-house.