Trains refurbished in £10m scheme

A £10m programme to refurbish 25 East Midlands trains has been completed.

The East Midlands Trains carriages now have more seats, improved air conditioning and CCTV.

The train firm provides rail services linking Norwich to Liverpool, via Peterborough, Nottingham and Sheffield, and services from London to Derby.

The refurbishment programme which has been carried out by DeltaRail in Derby, took 20 months to complete and aims to improve passenger safety and comfort.

A spokesman for East Midlands Trains said the new carriages would be a marked improvement on the Liverpool and Norwich route.

Internally, the new look trains feature an improved seating layout with more than 10% more seats and new toilet facilities.

David Horne, commercial and customer service director of East Midlands Trains, said they had received "some great feedback" about the newly refurbished trains.

John Saunders, chair of the Peterborough-Ely-Norwich Rail User Group, said: "This refurbishment has given passengers a brighter decor, cleaner toilets and above all more seats, which were particularly needed on the Liverpool to Norwich route."

David Thornhill, chair of Nottinghamshire Campaign for Better Transport, added: "We know the rail industry won't be immune from the spending cuts announced recently.

"However, what we've seen with this refurbishment is what marvellous results can be achieved with relatively little money being spent."

In total, East Midlands Trains is investing almost £30m to improve its fleet, the company said.

The company's 11 High Speed Trains are also currently being refurbished.