EMR to refurbish Class 360, 158 and 170 trains

East Midlands Railway (EMR) has announced the start of a 60 million GBP programme to refurbish its fleet of Class 360, Class 158 and Class 170 trains. The project is being delivered in partnership with Angel Trains, Siemens, Porterbrook, and Eversholt and leverages significant private sector investment. All the work will be carried out in the UK providing a significant boost to the supply chain. Together with the introduction of the new Aurora Intercity trains, this will mean that all of EMR’s trains will either be replaced with new trains or refurbished.

The full regional fleet contains 154 units, with the completion dates as follows:
Class 360: 21 four-car units (84 cars), the last unit is planned to be complete by end of February 2026,
Class 170: 27 two-car units (54 cars) and 16 three-car units (48 cars), the refurbishment of all units is planned to be completed by end of August 2027,
Class 158: 26 two-car units (52 cars), the refurbishment of all units is planned to be completed by end of June 2026.

EMR’s Class 360 EMU fleet operates EMR Connect and Luton Airport Express services between Corby and London St Pancras stopping at Kettering, Wellingborough, Bedford, Luton, Luton Airport Parkway. The trains will be upgraded to provide better facilities for commuter, leisure and airport passengers including new 2 + 2 seating throughout the trains in a mixture of airline style and bay seats, luggage racks, charging points and new passenger information systems.

EMR’s Class 170 DMU fleet operates regional services across the East Midlands including, Matlock to Derby and Nottingham, Nottingham to Worksop via Mansfield, Newark Castle to Crewe via Nottingham, Derby and Stoke-On-Trent, Peterborough to Doncaster via Lincoln, Nottingham to Skegness via Grantham, Cleethorpes to Leicester via Lincoln and Nottingham, and Cleethorpes to Barton on Humber. The trains have come to EMR from different operators and will be upgraded to provide a consistent customer experience across the fleet.  All trains will receive new seat foams and covers, an extensive refresh as well as new passenger information systems and CCTV. 

EMR's Class 158 DMU fleet mainly operates on the Liverpool to Norwich route via Nottingham, Manchester and Sheffield. The unis will receive new seat covers and foams, an interior refresh and CCTV.

Will Rogers, Managing Director of East Midlands Railway, said: "This multi-million-pound investment into our Connect and Regional fleets is fantastic news for our customers and the regions we serve. The refurbishment will redefine the travel experience across every corner of our network. Be it commuters, leisure travellers or airport passengers, this investment will be transformative - offering them more convenience, comfort and better facilities. It is also great news for the country's rail industry, with all the work being carried out by UK companies."

Malcolm Brown, CEO of Angel Trains, said: “Angel Trains is pleased to share that 28 million GBP is being invested in our Class 360 fleet. This refurbishment, carried out in partnership with East Midlands Railway and Siemens, will completely transform the passenger environment, providing a comfortable, connected and enjoyable travel experience. As part of our continual investment in our trains, we are also actively working with East Midlands Railway to refresh and enhance our Class 158 fleet.”

Matt Colclough, Customer Services Operations Director, Siemens Mobility UK&I said: "The Siemens Mobility teams both at Bedford and Northampton are extremely excited about the investment into the 360 fleet, and are busy mobilising to complete the upgrades which will deliver both enhancements to the passenger environments, and technology to transform the passenger journey."