First fully refurbished SWR 444 enters service

15th November 2018

The first fully refurbished and reconfigured Class 444 EMU has re-entered passenger service with South Western Railway and offers additional seating capacity as well as high quality improvements to passenger accomodation.

Part of SWR’s £50m Desiro interior upgrade programme, the train is the first to be released by by the trains’ manufacturer, Siemens Mobility Limited and is designed to increase the seating capacity in standard class and bring the interior to a much more up to date standard. This includes the addition of enhanced Wi-Fi; inductive charging tables and at-seat power; and a full refurbishment of passenger accommodation using quality materials.

Neil Drury, SWR’s Engineering Director said: “Our customers have been enjoying the benefits of refurbished accommodation on our Class 450 trains since December, and this train marks the start of phase two of the programme which offers additional seats as well.

“When the refurbishment programme completes, all 172 of our Desiro class trains will have new, high-quality interiors, and will be providing almost 5,000 much needed additional seats in standard class.”

Richard Carrington, Project Director, Siemens Mobility said: “Siemens Mobility is proud to refurbish the 172-strong Class 444 and Class 450 Desiro fleet for South Western Railway. The passengers will benefit from full interior refurbishment of all trains; including, more seats, at seat power points for mobile devices and real-time information displays and new carpets. Additional benefits for First Class customers include new leather seats and new tables incorporating innovative inductive charging.”

Author: Darren Porter
Image: South Western Railway