Investing in our rail services
Continued investment in our services will improve reliability, punctuality and customer service. This investment is essential to delivering the service excellence our customers expect and will support continued passenger growth. During the past year we have invested around £84 million on refurbishing vehicles and engineering improvements. Some examples of these investments are given below.
- First TransPennine Express has acquired additional vehicles as part of its expansion programme. A £2 million investment programme will transform the interiors of these new vehicles, improving customer comfort and safety.
- With funding from Transport Scotland, First ScotRail has undertaken a major refurbishment programme on its Class 156 trains operating from Fort William.
- Earlier this year First Great Western announced a £200 million package of investment on service improvements. To date an £11 million investment has been made in the Class 150 trains in the West Country Fleet. These trains have new interiors and livery and the major engineering overhaul will improve performance.
- The sleeper service running between Penzance and London Paddington has also received a major upgrade at a cost of £2 million.
- First Capital Connect has started to refresh their Class 365 trains: a £16 million investment has included improvements to trains, stations and staff training.
- As part of the £multi-billion, Government-funded Thameslink upgrade First Capital Connect and Network Rail will extend platforms to allow a 50% increase in capacity. The extra capacity will be achieved by lengthening trains and increasing services during the morning and evening peaks.
- First Hull Trains has introduced an additional weekday service between Hull and London, taking its total number of weekday services to seven in each direction.
- First TransPennine Express has opened new services between Manchester, and Glasgow and Edinburgh. In addition, direct services from the North West to Manchester airport have been increased.
Transforming travel with First TransPennine Express
In May 2007 we opened a new £10 million state-of-the-art depot. The event marked the completion of a £250 million investment in a new fleet of Class 185 Desiro trains. Surveys show 95% of passengers prefer the new trains. The project is the culmination of a successful partnership between ourselves, the government, fleet owner HSBC Rail and train manufacturer and maintainer Siemens Transportation Systems.
Upgrading the Thameslink route
First Capital Connect continues to invest in the Thameslink route.
A second service delivery centre has been established to improve the management of service performance.
New sidings at Cricklewood provide a central area for train stabling which will reduce delays. We are collaborating with Network Rail to improve infrastructure, aiming to maintain 90% performance or above on the route. The £27 million investment in the Class 319 fleet includes modifications to improve reliability.
First ScotRail named Scottish Public Transport Operator of the Year
In October 2007 First ScotRail was named Scottish Public Transport Operator of the Year. The award recognised dramatic improvements in punctuality and reliability of trains and high levels of customer satisfaction, including value for money.
First Great Western wins Rolling Stock Excellence Award
At the HSBC Rail Business Awards First Great Western won the Rolling Stock Excellence Award for the £63 million refresh of its high-speed train fleet. In a joint submission with Brush Traction it also won the Engineering Excellence of the Year Award for the £80 million re-engineering programme on the high-speed train fleet, an initiative that will improve reliability and reduce fuel consumption.