
Train operating company, Northern, is celebrating the completion of a three-year project to improve on-board technology on services across the North of England.
The ‘digital train’ project sought to retrofit the company’s existing fleet with the same digital facilities on-board 101 new trains that entered service from 2021. Work has seen 233 trains updated with Wi-Fi, HD CCTV cameras, live passenger information screens, passenger counting and 17,200 USB charging sockets.
Jack Commandeur, engineering director at Northern, said:
“We’re thrilled to see the final ‘digital train’ come off the production line. This has been an epic, three-year project delivered against a backdrop of COVID-19 lockdowns and the team deserves a huge credit for keeping at it and getting us to this point.
“Customers across the network can now enjoy enhanced digital facilities on their journeys.
“The project would not have been possible without a number of partners – and I’d like to thank everyone at ADComms, Belvoir Rail, Icomera, Yellow Rail, Ricardo, Huber & Suhner, Porterbrook, Angel and Eversholt.”
Fleets that have been part of the digital train makeover include the Class 150, Class 155, Class 156, Class 158 and Class 170 diesels along with Class 323 and Class 333 electrics.
Each train required 1,100 hours of work with an average turnaround of five days per unit. In total throughout the three year project the team has worked its way through 510,000 nuts and bolts, 4,000 circuit relays, 6,800 circuit breakers, 1,200 antenna mounting plates and 725 kilometres of electric cable.
William Edwards, digital trains project manager at Northern, added:
“Digital trains deliver truly ground-breaking passenger benefits and, as one of the largest upgrades in the rail industry, the team should be immensely proud for what they have achieved, well done everyone.”