Southeastern Railway has introduced its first refreshed Class 376 Electrostar unit into operation across its Metro routes.
The vehicle – Unit 376027 – is the first train to have undergone the new, mid-life transformation procedure, which is part of the operator’s wider fleet improvement programme.
The programme also includes a 27 million GBP refurbishment of its Class 395 high-speed Javelin fleet, the addition of extra Class 377 trains and an overall upgrade to its Class 375 fleet, which was completed in 2024, as well as the fitting of new toilet facilities to the Class 606 City Beam fleet.
The refurbishment initiative for the Class 376 fleet, which is being carried out in partnership with Alstom and Eversholt Rail, is set to see a full interior and exterior refresh of all 36 units, with each train due to receive new wrapping, energy-saving LED lighting and a suite of new, refurbished seats, as well as at-seat power outlets & USB sockets.
Mark Johnson, Engineering Director at Southeastern, said:We’re very excited to mark this first milestone in the refresh of our Class 376 trains. I’m sure customers will appreciate the bright, clean blue exterior and the improved lighting that we’ll have in the carriages.
There is much more to come and the first train that has the full refresh, which includes power points for charging on the go and refurbished seating, will be in service by the end of the year.
All work on the new units is currently being delivered at Southeastern’s Gillingham Maintenance Centre, with further enhancements set to be added at the operator’s Grove Park Centre of Excellence later this year.
