The first refurbished Class 170 Turbostar with CrossCountry has gone through a multi-million pound fleet refurbishment programme, financed by Porterbrook and carried out at Arriva TrainCare’s Crewe depot.

Passengers will benefit from new tables, seats and carpets, plug and USB sockets at all seats, refreshed on-board toilets and enhanced passenger information screens. Each carriage has had a full interior and exterior repaint, and new CCTV and automatic passenger counting equipment has been installed.

The reintroduction of unit 170101 to CrossCountry’s inter-regional fleet marks a key milestone in the project, which will see29 trains - totalling 80 carriages - going through the programme.

Ben Ackroyd, Chief Operating Officer at Porterbrook, said: “As passenger needs evolve, it’s important that our trains do too. That’s why we continue to invest in our fleets to ensure they meet customer expectations.

“Alongside our partners at CrossCountry and Arriva TrainCare, we’re pleased to be able to present the first refurbished Class 170 into passenger service.”

Shiona Rolfe, CrossCountry’s Managing Director, said: “It’s fantastic to deliver our first refurbished Turbostar train for passengers on our inter-regional routes.

“We know that these trains provide the bulk of the train service for a good portion of our network, and we hope passengers enjoy the significant improvements in convenience and comfort on those journeys.”

Russell Fletcher, Business Development Director at Arriva TrainCare said: “We’re delighted to be supporting CrossCountry with this significant refurbishment project. The team at our Crewe depot have been working hard to deliver the major fleet overhaul, which will greatly improve the passenger experience – benefitting existing customers at the same time as encouraging even more people to travel on CrossCountry’s services.”

The Turbostar refurbishment programme is currently scheduled to finish by 2028.