First of East Midlands Class 170 ready for first journey in new livery

East Midlands Railway has said its Class 170 is ready for its first journey in its new livery.

The Class 170s will be serving the companies regional routes from late 2020 and beyond.

The next stop for 170416 is Eastcroft and preparation for staff training.

Eventually, the entire EMR regional fleet will be comprised of the Class 170s trains, bringing a standard and uniform fleet of trains for all regional services.

This new fleet will also provide much improve on board facilities for passengers, including more seats, power sockets, free Wifi, air conditioning, accessible toilets as well as maintaining wheelchair areas and cycle spaces.

An East Midlands Railway spokesperson said: “As part of our plans to improve the journeys of customers right across the East Midlands and beyond we are replacing our entire train fleet in the coming years. This includes the introduction of Class 170s to our fleet, which will also undergo a refurbishment programme in support of our regional customers. These trains will provide our passengers with better facilities and a more comfortable journey.

“The first two 170s, which will be in their EMR livery, are on their way to the East Midlands, and social distancing guidelines and lockdown permitting, will be used for training staff in the very near future. We currently expect that the trains will be in passenger service by the end of the year.”

Photo credit: East Midlands Railway

Download article