SWR Repaints and Refurbishments

[387star]

Well the exterior refurb is picking up pace now

Shame to see such a mess at Salisbury as it was so standardised there

 

[43096]

Well the exterior refurb is picking up pace now

Shame to see such a mess at Salisbury as it was so standardised there

Exterior refurb...... you mean a repaint.

Horrible phrase that is so beloved of the modern railway, to go with “Train Presentation Team” (that’ll be the cleaners) and other such nonsense.

 

[Thumper1127]

Yes, but they reduced maintenance and essential stopped maintaining the interiors, particularly air conditioning. Failures ensued. They then blamed “old BR trains” , meanwhile the same MK3’s were providing sterling service elsewhere. I am not anti Virgin but I believe SWR were dealt an impossible hand by the DfT, took the bait (to which Stagecoach rightly made a non compliant bit) and are trying to get more capacity into the system. Hence the focus on the interior of the trains rather than the exterior.

 

[winks]

Was on 444 007 yesterday. Paint wise The plain light blue looks really good Up close on the side. The SWR logo looked good too. The trouble with the vinyl design especially on the diesels is the dirt marks show badly at the crease of the vinyl.

 

[RealTrains07]

Cost is not in it because without vinyl you have to apply more coats of paint and a higher quality finish. If you look at the few units that have been vinyled you can get an idea of how difficult it's been to match up the stripes on the vinyl panels, plus the vertical joins between panels are very visible.

I doubt visibility of the joins would have mattered at all really. The stripes were nice but to save time in the re livery process it had to go

 

[RealTrains07]

Was on 444 007 yesterday. Paint wise The plain light blue looks really good Up close on the side. The SWR logo looked good too. The trouble with the vinyl design especially on the diesels is the dirt marks show badly at the crease of the vinyl.

Thats the same for all DMUs that have vinyl livery. Its not just SWR.

The quality of the refurbishment tells customers a lot about SWR. Not the livery

 

[RealTrains07]

SWR Desiro Repaints

444s

006, 007 and 015 (3 units)(7% complete)

450s

021* and 036 (1 unit)(0.8% complete)

Feel free to let me know of any more repainted Desiros

What about 450/111 and 444/040??
I know they have the stripes but doesn’t that count as repainted?

I doubt SWR would go to all the trouble of re painting all the 159s that have the stripes?

 

[Goldfish62]

What about 450/111 and 444/040??
I know they have the stripes but doesn’t that count as repainted?

I doubt SWR would go to all the trouble of re painting all the 159s that have the stripes?

Well they've stated that all the vinyled ones will be repainted in standard livery. (see numerous past posts).

 

[387star]

The stations look awful

Why tape in blue bands rather than.paint them ? They have all peeled off at fareham etc

 

[RealTrains07]

Well they've stated that all the vinyled ones will be repainted in standard livery. (see numerous past posts).

It makes sense for the desiro ones but not for the DMUs as their is more than 2 in the stripe livery. Its a waste of money repainting them if iam being honest

 

[hwl]

It makes sense for the desiro ones but not for the DMUs as their is more than 2 in the stripe livery. Its a waste of money repainting them if iam being honest

The paint job warranty (for corrosion etc.) will be expiring on most stuff soon (that isn't leaving) hence repaints need. The quick vinyl jobs done for launch will all need a repaint at some point for non cosmetic reasons.

 

[Goldfish62]

It makes sense for the desiro ones but not for the DMUs as their is more than 2 in the stripe livery. Its a waste of money repainting them if iam being honest

The stripey ones aren't looking too good. Lots of visible vertical lines where the vinyls join. They'll look better when repainted, whenever that is.

 

[SWRtrain_fan]

What about 450/111 and 444/040??
I know they have the stripes but doesn’t that count as repainted?

I doubt SWR would go to all the trouble of re painting all the 159s that have the stripes?

Oh yes, I forgot to add 040 and 111.

 

[swt_passenger]

To be fair to SWR their focus has been on refurbishment to increase capacity. I judge my journey from inside the train, not the outside. Too many early franchises focussed on corporate brand for vanity reasons. As John Prescott said to Richard Branson in the early days of the WCML franchise “you’ve done wonders for the paint industry, when are you going to do something about the trains?”

Also, anyone reading back through this thread will have seen it stated quite a few times that it was always planned to do all the interior work first. On some forecasts they have actually started the 450/444 repaints a bit earlier than planned.

 

[Dan15812]

I doubt SWR would go to all the trouble of re painting all the 159s that have the stripes?

They probably will, as vinyl is not long lasting

 

[RealTrains07]

The stripey ones aren't looking too good. Lots of visible vertical lines where the vinyls join. They'll look better when repainted, whenever that is.

End of the day, appearance will not matter to passengers. They just want a train thats on time and I doubt would want their taxpayer money wasted doing a job that doesn’t necessarily need doing

 

[Wychwood93]

Agree - too much spent. I have no problem with a 'refresh' - retailers etc. do it but not with the obsession that TOCs appear to have. By the time customers get used to a new TOC there is another one on the way. Not always the case I know - down here we have had SWT for so long that SWR will take a while. With regard to buses many of us still think in terms of Hants&Dorset and Wilts&Dorset - now those are part of More, a Go-Ahead (hopefully!) company.

 

[Goldfish62]

End of the day, appearance will not matter to passengers. They just want a train thats on time and I doubt would want their taxpayer money wasted doing a job that doesn’t necessarily need doing

Repainting a few units a few years early will cost comparatively absolute peanuts. I don't agree at all that all passengers want is for a train to turn up and don't care how well presented it looks. Poorly presented trains, or any product for that matter give the impression of a company that doesn't care.

 

[RealTrains07]

Repainting a few units a few years early will cost comparatively absolute peanuts. I don't agree at all that all passengers want is for a train to turn up and don't care how well presented it looks. Poorly presented trains, or any product for that matter give the impression of a company that doesn't care.

For SWR though iam sure passengers would notice and appreciate the new seats and fresh interior far more than the old blue and red SWT livery on the outside or whether the SWR livery is stripes or paint?

like what has been said already, for passengers its more about running on time and having comfortable seats which will stop them complaining

 

[Lockwood]

With regard to buses many of us still think in terms of Hants&Dorset

I know that under a slightly different name

 

[Dan15812]

Deleted

 

[Dan15812]

Repainting a few units a few years early will cost comparatively absolute peanuts. I don't agree at all that all passengers want is for a train to turn up and don't care how well presented it looks. Poorly presented trains, or any product for that matter give the impression of a company that doesn't care.

I fully agree!

 

[lsdghasu]

444015 in the new paint job is in service today.

 

[43096]

450056 seen at Waterloo this morning - don’t think that one has been reported before?

 

[SWRtrain_fan]

450056 seen at Waterloo this morning - don’t think that one has been reported before?

Has it been repainted or just renumbered?

 

[CR165022]

Has it been repainted or just renumbered?

Why would it be renumbered?

 

[SWRtrain_fan]

Why would it be renumbered?

Because the units 450543-570 used to be numbered as 4505xx (because the interiors were slightly modified), but after SWR's recent refurbishment, they've all got the same interiors so they were renumbered to their former 4500xx numbers. Hence 450556 is now 450056.

 

[CR165022]

Because the units 450543-570 used to be numbered as 4505xx (because the interiors were slightly modified), but after SWR's recent refurbishment, they've all got the same interiors so they were renumbered to their former 4500xx numbers. Hence 450556 is now 450056.

Yes but 4he 444s don't need to be renumbered

 

[Train Boy]

Yes but 4he 444s don't need to be renumbered

No one mentioned 444s? The OP mentioned 450056.

 

[Domh245]

Yes but 4he 444s don't need to be renumbered

The 444s still have (and always have had) their original number...