The first refurbished TransPennine Express Class 185 entered traffic on July 24.
All 51 three-car diesel multiple units will be treated as part of the refurbishment plan, although in the long-term 22 will be returned to owner Eversholt Rail. TPE plans that its new Mk 5A coaches, Class 397 electric multiple units and Class 802 bi-modes will have the same interiors.
The refurbishment is part of TPE’s £32 million investment in the ‘185s’. The work includes fitting brand new seats in First Class, fitting standard plug and USB sockets at each pair of seats, bigger tables to allow more space, refitted toilets and LED lighting. TPE said that once the full progamme is completed next year, the trains will be fitted with information screens, faster WiFi and on-board entertainment systems.
Standard Class seat fabrics have been made by Camira Fabrics (based near Huddersfield), and the curtains in First Class made by A.W. Hainsworth (based in Pudsey).
Siemens carried out the work at its Leeman Road depot in York, with 185101 the first to be treated.
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Noam Bleicher - 28/07/2017 10:43
Look at the pull-down tables at the airline seats - it would be quite impossible to use a laptop at these seats. Have TPEx kept the generous provision of full tables in these trains? I hope so.
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John - 12/01/2018 13:17
The seat layout seems the same as before, with quite good table provision and alignment with the windows. The refreshed look is impressive.
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AndrewJGwilt1989 - 29/07/2017 01:48
Does look very nice. Some of the Class 185's are already with Northern on hire or permanently. Along with Northern ordering new Class 195's and Class 331's trains and with the rest of the Class 185's that will be kept as Transpennine Express are ordering new trains including the Mk5a coaches and Class 397's.
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