Rebuilding Electrostar Trains In-House
A £100 million project to refurbish over 300 Electrostar trains has been completed by Govia Thameslink (GTR) staff at the Selhurst depot.
The project, which took five years to complete, is believed to be the largest fleet upgrade in modern times. What's unusual about this project is that all the work was carried out in-house, rather than by a third-party refurbishment company.
- Train builder: Bombardier (now Alstom)
- Train owners: Porterbrook
- Train operator: GTR
- Maintenance company: typically a fourth party
By bringing the job in-house, GTR was able to use its existing Selhurst depot to carry out the work, marking a significant achievement in the industry.
No single train was sent off-site for refurbishment.
Author's summary: GTR completes £100m refurbishment project.