CrossCountry will celebrate the completion of two major projects to improve its services for passengers in the East Midlands, and the creation of 14 new jobs in Leicester when the City Mayor, Sir Peter Soulsby, names a CrossCountry Turbostar train ‘Pride of Leicester’.
The event, which will take place on Tuesday 03 August at UK Rail Leasing’s Leicester Train Maintenance Depot, marks £2.5m investment by the company. Six additional carriages no longer used by another operator, have been refurbished to bring them up to CrossCountry’s specification by Arriva TrainCare. The improvement work includes new seat covers, new carpets, upgraded Wi-Fi and a full external repaint. The project has converted six existing two-carriage Turbostar trains into three-carriage trains – an increase of 80 seats per train.
Arriva TrainCare and CrossCountry have also set up a new contract with Leicester-based UK Rail Leasing to fully service six Turbostar trains each night at their Leicester Train Maintenance Depot. This will mean the consistent high-quality presentation of trains into public service at Leicester each day, as well as creating 14 brand new jobs at the depot.
Tom Joyner, CrossCountry’s Managing Director said: “As we welcome people back to rail after the pandemic, being able to provide more three-carriage trains for the busiest times of travel on our Leicester, Nottingham, Cambridge and Stansted Airport routes will mean many more of our customers can get a seat for their whole journey and travel in comfort”.
He added: “What’s more, our new contract with UK Rail Leasing means that we are able to ensure our trains enter service each morning with a higher standard of cleanliness, which we know is important to our passengers.”
Mark Winter, UK Rail Leasing’s Managing Director said: “UK Rail Leasing is pleased to be supporting CrossCountry in providing train care and maintenance services at our Maintenance Depot in Leicester. This is an exciting opportunity for us and it is our intention, in partnership with CrossCountry, to make a significant contribution to further improving the delivery of CrossCountry’s train service in terms of train presentation and operational reliability into the future”.
Leicester City Mayor, Sir Peter Soulsby said: “These projects are fantastic news for Leicester as we begin to emerge from the pandemic. Rail travellers will benefit from better and less crowded trains and the investment creating new local jobs is very welcome‘’.
“We are very proud to have a Turbostar train named ‘Pride of Leicester’ after our great city.”
Photo credit: CrossCountry
0113 2082620
info@railbusinessdaily.com
15 Mariner Court, Wakefield WF4 3FL
