Alstom has reached a significant milestone in the overhaul of train bogies for Avanti West Coast’s Class 390 Pendolino fleet.
This overhaul is part of the heavy maintenance of Avanti’s 35 11-carriage Pendolino trains, which have each covered over 750,000 miles. Alstom has now completed bogie sets on all 35 11-carriage Pendolino trains, marking the completion of the initial phase of the project.
The project is taking place at Alstom’s facility in Crewe and represents the largest bogie revamp in the UK, involving 1,148 bogies.
The overhaul includes the examination and refurbishment of 22 bogie sets per train, ensuring they continue to provide reliable service.
“We are thrilled to reach this important milestone in the overhaul of the Avanti West Coast Pendolino fleet’s bogies. This project showcases the outstanding expertise and dedication of our team in Crewe.
“By ensuring these trains continue to perform at their best, we are not only preserving the legacy of Crewe as a centre of railway excellence but also contributing to a more reliable and efficient rail service for passengers across the UK. We look forward to continuing this vital work in partnership with Avanti West Coast.”
Each week, bogies and traction motors are transported to Crewe, where they are disassembled, cleaned, reconditioned, and reassembled.
The bogie frames are separated from the wheelsets, stripped into components, and refurbished before being painted and put back together. The overhaul is part of a broader programme that sees thousands of components replaced or repaired weekly, including pantographs, train control systems, and batteries.
The heavy overhaul follows a 117 million GBP investment programme that refurbished the Pendolino trains, ensuring the fleet remains a reliable asset for UK rail.
The next phase of the project involves overhauling bogies for the 21 nine-carriage Pendolinos.
“Our Pendolinos travel hundreds of thousands of miles every year, so it’s critical their heavy maintenance is completed throughout the year to ensure they’re safe and reliable for our customers.
“We’re proud to be working with Alstom to overhaul the Pendolinos – especially with much of the work being done local to the West Coast Main Line. Crewe has a rich railway heritage and is a key hub on our route, so it’s great the skills that have been passed down over the 180 years of Crewe Works are being utilised to carry out this latest investment in our fleet.”
