Grand Central completes £9million refurbishment of its train fleet serving Sunderland and Hartlepool

Grand Central has competed a two-year £9million refurbishment of its fleet.
By Kevin Clark
Published 11th Dec 2019, 16:45 BST
Grand Central has revamped its fleetGrand Central has revamped its fleet
Grand Central has revamped its fleet

Thousands of customers using the firm’s route linking Sunderland and Hartlepool to London will benefit from smart new interiors, including new seats with fabric and leather edging in standard class and new floor covering throughout.

There has been a full refit of the toilet facilities together with improved disabled access and baby changing facilities.

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The refurbishment programme is the largest of its kind that Grand Central has undertaken in its 12-year history and it is part of the company’s ongoing multi-million pound investment programme to facilities on board, online and at stations.

The new-look standard classThe new-look standard class
The new-look standard class

Fleet director Dave Hatfield said: “We are thrilled our major Adelante fleet refurbishment programme is now complete. It has transformed our trains and brought them right up to date, with a modern and stylish fleet that is fully fit for the future.

“At Grand Central, we are committed to offering the best possible customer experience and listening to the improvements our customers would like to see. Thanks to our refurbishment, passengers can enjoy a comfortable, relaxing experience while travelling with us.

“As with any project of this scale and complexity, our team, partners and suppliers have worked tirelessly to deliver an end result which puts the comfort and convenience of our customers at the forefront. The feedback from passengers has been very positive to date, which we are delighted about.”

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The announcement comes after the company was granted access rights by the Office of Rail and Road to operate an additional daily return service between Sunderland and Kings Cross until at least 2021.

The refurbishment has taken two yearsThe refurbishment has taken two years
The refurbishment has taken two years

Grand Central recently shared details of its continued £2.6 million station investment scheme, demonstrating its commitment to the communities it serves.Customer satisfaction levels remain consistently high and Grand Central was named Britain’s best value rail operator for the eighth time in Spring 2019 National Rail Passenger Survey.

But it comes after Grand Central apologised to passengers from Sunderland and Hartlepool after rail services cancelled due to shortage of drivers.

To find out more about Grand Central, visit www.grandcentralrail.com, or follow the railway company on Twitter @GC_Rail, Facebook or LinkedIn.

Related topics:SunderlandHartlepoolLondon