SWR Repaints and Refurbishments

[Goldfish62]

Not all units are going to go through the interim program. Originally intended to be one unit done, which was 450111 for TV appearance.
Then went to a further 9 units to have "ten example" units in service during Summer. Now interim work extended due to delays in the full refurbishment kicking off.
There is only about another 6 units to go until it stops pending introduction of full refurbishment. No 444s have been involved with the interim work.

450 Interim Refurbishment units: 450003, 006, 007, 010, 013, 014, 016, 020, 024, 025, 027, 028, 030, 031, 033, 035, 036, 038, 040, 041, 073, 074, 075, 079, 086, 093, 099, 102, 105, 110, 111, 124, 126.

Thanks for the update. Will the full refurbishment start immediately after the interim finishes or are we in for another hiatus?

 

[Goldfish62]

Its definitely not white it’s grey I think

It just passed me again, coupled to an SWT liveried example. The white on each appeared to pretty much match. But again, I just had a glimpse.

 

[387star]

What about the 158/159

They are starting to do a mini refurbishment on those

Will those seats be retained or are they to be replaced on a fuller refurbishment?
Will the more recently painred 159/1and 158s get SWR livery ?

 

[WVL14]

Thanks for the update. Will the full refurbishment start immediately after the interim finishes or are we in for another hiatus?

Not sure - watch this space. It was due to start after the first ten were completed.... But didn't. Little break then they started going through again. I would not be surprised if we see some more added to this list.

 

[TEW]

The full refurbishment has started in a way hasn't it? 450113 is stopped for the full refurbishment along with 444040. Obviously that has hit some delays, but something is happening.

 

[pompeyfan]

It’d be nice to see some love shown to a few 444’s. They’ve put the graft in on the long distance routes and are looking tired. Just a few 450 style spruce up on a few of them would help their image. They’d also benefit from losing a few seats and gaining a few sensible luggage racks but the DfT would never approve.

 

[superalbs]

159009 in yet another variant of the livery, this time with no stripes at all.

Glad to see the terrible stripe idea has been put to rest.

Looking at it again, I don't think any of the units coming out are the same:
159003 - Original livery with white first class stripe.
159007 - Replacement of white first class stripe with yellow.
159011 - New interior design.
159014 - Yellow first class stripe slightly darker.
159005 - Removal of stripes on grey section and replaced with plain white.
159009 - Removal of stripes on blue section and replaced with plain blue.

 

[TEW]

It’d be nice to see some love shown to a few 444’s. They’ve put the graft in on the long distance routes and are looking tired. Just a few 450 style spruce up on a few of them would help their image. They’d also benefit from losing a few seats and gaining a few sensible luggage racks but the DfT would never approve.

Instead they are going to lose one of the well used, useful cycle storage areas.

 

[WVL14]

The full refurbishment has started in a way hasn't it? 450113 is stopped for the full refurbishment along with 444040. Obviously that has hit some delays, but something is happening.

Thats right. It has started, just got a bit stationary at the moment.

 

[lewisf]

It just passed me again, coupled to an SWT liveried example. The white on each appeared to pretty much match. But again, I just had a glimpse.

It passed me slowly today, definitely a light duck egg blue-silver colour. Not quite white.

 

[spark001uk]

I don't mind the stripes on the dark blue ends, but the livery definitely looks better with the stripes removed from the rest of the unit.

 

[TEW]

450008 and 450109 can be added to the list of partly refurbished units.

 

[Goldfish62]

It passed me slowly today, definitely a light duck egg blue-silver colour. Not quite white.

I think you're right. What it's definitely not is grey as some have suggested.

 

[dorsetdesiro]

Are they changing the silvery grey parts to duck egg blue? Probably an cost saving exercise

 

[lxfe_mxtterz]

I hope this is relevant to post, but I'm sure it will be of some interest.

South Western Railway have uploaded a relatively interesting time-lapse video of the refurbishment process of their Class 450s onto their website.

Link below:
https://www.southwesternrailway.com...Transformation-and-Growth/Train-Refurbishment

 

[Nammer]

Interesting reading re:442s underneath the video

 

[Monty]

I hope this is relevant to post, but I'm sure it will be of some interest.

South Western Railway have uploaded a relatively interesting time-lapse video of the refurbishment process of their Class 450s onto their website.

Link below:
https://www.southwesternrailway.com...Transformation-and-Growth/Train-Refurbishment

It's a bit sad really, not even a full refurb just the 'refresh' they have done to a limited number of units.

 

[Goldfish62]

It's a bit sad really, not even a full refurb just the 'refresh' they have done to a limited number of units.

Yes, nice video and I like the refresh, but it's just all a bit lacking...

 

[theironroad]

Is that the full refurbishment? Just seats and carpets and some dodgy leg hurting power socket casing.
At least the carpet is quite spongy at the moment and there is a new carpet smell.......

 

[lxfe_mxtterz]

It's a bit sad really, not even a full refurb just the 'refresh' they have done to a limited number of units.

Yes, I totally agree. I do also think the orange poles look quite out of place now amongst all the blue that was introduced with the refurbishment. I was hoping that they'd have painted the poles a light blue color, just like the CGI images of the refurbishment initially suggested.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Such a little little little thing, turning the poles and grab handles blue - but I think it would be sooo effective for sure.

 

[Goldfish62]

Is that the full refurbishment? Just seats and carpets and some dodgy leg hurting power socket casing.
At least the carpet is quite spongy at the moment and there is a new carpet smell.......

The CGI images suggest handrails changing colour as well, plus there's the new PIS and "infotainment system". Whatever that is.

 

[theironroad]

The CGI images suggest handrails changing colour as well, plus there's the new PIS and "infotainment system". Whatever that is.

The 450s I've been on have retained the orange hand rails, maybe that's later. Same with pis and infotainment, not seen those. The infotainment is essentially a digital library of films and programmes held on board which a passenger can connect to via their tablet or phone. Many planes have them now too. Not too sure what the upgraded pis will do.

 

[randompixel]

The 450s I've been on have retained the orange hand rails, maybe that's later. Same with pis and infotainment, not seen those. The infotainment is essentially a digital library of films and programmes held on board which a passenger can connect to via their tablet or phone. Many planes have them now too. Not too sure what the upgraded pis will do.

I'd imagine to be inline with what the Desiro City provides.

 

[swt_passenger]

Is that the full refurbishment? Just seats and carpets and some dodgy leg hurting power socket casing.
At least the carpet is quite spongy at the moment and there is a new carpet smell.......

The full refurbishment is supposed to relocate First Class to the two end cars behind the cabs, and remove the guard’s office. (That’s in 450s, 444’s work also include removal of the buffet with their First only at one end.) No movement on any of that at all, I think someone explained it needed interior panelling modification kits to do it properly, and they were proving difficult to source.

When they temporarily removed First from the 450/5s they left all the partitions in place, but to convert to an ‘as new’ equivalent condition needs a lot more work this time round.

 

[pompeyfan]

The first fully refurbished 444 is expected mid October.

 

[387star]

The first fully refurbished 444 is expected mid October.

Believe it when I see it

Is the buffet and guards office removal going ahead as planned?

 

[DelW]

The infotainment is essentially a digital library of films and programmes held on board which a passenger can connect to via their tablet or phone. Many planes have them now too.

I hope it will work better than the wi-fi on the 450s does at present, it's ages since I've been able to use that. My phone shows the wi-fi has connected, but I never get to a log-in screen. TBH I've pretty much given up trying now and just use a data connection when I can get a signal.

 

[DelW]

The first fully refurbished 444 is expected mid October.

So 14 months into the franchise, 10 months into the refurbishment programme (based on dates below), one will be done (possibly) and 44 to go, plus the 450s, the 442s, and the diesels ... going well isn't it?

Just as a reminder, this is what SWR said on 10 Nov 2017 (my boldening):
https://www.firstgroupplc.com/news-and-media/latest-news/2017/10-11-17a.aspx

South Western Railway (SWR) announced today that as part of its £1.2bn investment plans, it has signed contracts worth £50m with Siemens to refurbish its existing 172-strong Class 444 and Class 450 Desiro fleet of trains, which currently operate across the SWR network.

The enhancement programme, with work beginning in December 2017, will deliver a full interior refurbishment of all trains; including, at seat power points for mobile devices and real-time information displays and carpets. Additional benefits for First Class customers include new leather seats and new tables incorporating innovative inductive charging. The programme is expected to take around 12 months to complete.

 

[envirommc]

I notice that no 450/5 units have had a part internal refurbishment.