Arriva 158 Refurbishment (combination of 3 threads)

[Arriva158]

I have recieved some great news in the form of 158840 now being sat inside Crewe LNWR with the ambition to refurbish the interior! Last I heard they were still debating the seating because of lining up with the windows?

Is 840 going to be a test unit to see if all works out? Are they going the full way with the refurbishment or 75% like they have with the 175's?

 

[387star]

Yes they will resemble new trains when complete even including pis! Will transform these neglected units

 

[Arriva158]

So they're doing the whole EMT shabam but ATW style?

 

[northwichcat]

So they're doing the whole EMT shabam but ATW style?

The 158 refurbishment will give them 175 style interiors. See:
http://www.nwrail.org.uk/nw1005e.htm

The media are criticising the plans as there will be more seats in less space after refurbishment, so they're complaining passengers will be squashed up and seats won't be aligned with the windows:
http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/nor...es-trains-not-fit-for-purpose-55578-27773203/

Where have we heard that before? Liverpool-Norwich 158s?

 

[YorkshireBear]

i love the EMT 158's compared to northerns they are something else

 

[387star]

Media always whinge getting fed up tbh emt did great job

 

[swt_passenger]

I have recieved some great news in the form of 158840 now being sat inside Crewe LNWR with the ambition to refurbish the interior! Last I heard they were still debating the seating because of lining up with the windows?

I think it is more that some local pressure group or other wants all the seats to line up with the windows, it isn't exactly a debate, as such.

The TOC should do whatever they feel they need to do to increase seating capacity - there's probably more demand from real 'members of the public' for seats than views.

 

[37402]

Refurbs will not come out with 175 style interiors, think more along the lines of EMT 158 but with Arriva colouring plus a few extras. Basically an internal strip down and rebuild with new.

AIUI, it was WAG wanting two disabled spaces per train (they're paying so they get what they want!) plus the loss of space due to ERTMS cupboard which has meant compromises have had to be made with the seating layout. Seating itself is to be Grammer (a la EMT, FGW, FSR) so that should hopefully give some extra space for legroom compared to other variants.

 

[WillPS]

Sounds like the refurb is going to be closer to ScotRail's than EMTs. That's a good thing though.

 

[OMGitsDAVE]

Sounds like the refurb is going to be closer to ScotRail's than EMTs. That's a good thing though.

I think any refurb to these units will be welcomed!
Looking good I must say!

 

[Arriva158]

Just poking around to see if anyone had any news on 158840 and it's status with the refurbishment, the pioneer of the ArrivaTW fleet to be, is it true it's still going in the WAG livery?!
Many Thanks in Advance

 

[Rhydgaled]

I'd be interested to know more too. I hope the compromises on legroom and views will not be enacted on the sets that are not having ERTMS fitted (apparently only 17 out of ATW's 24 will be / are fitted). That's another thing, have they fitted all 17 yet, and has ERTMS been switched on to Aberystwyth?

I hope they don't change all the interior trim, I like the navy blue carpet on the wall beneath the windows, the navy strip above them and the navy and light blue bands on the luggage rack (pic here) very much. Reminds me of the regional railways livery (which after Wales & West put the Alphaline sticker on top is one of my favorites).

 

[boboloco]

Me too, I love the rancid stained carpet below the windows. I also love the stained and threadbare carpets on the saloon floors. The grey interiors compliment the carpets and other dated and dirty decor to give a delightfull and cheerful travelling experience

I hope they do as good a job as SWT/EMT. Their refurb provides a complete opposit to the current ATW decor.

 

[158722]

I'd be interested to know more too. I hope the compromises on legroom and views will not be enacted on the sets that are not having ERTMS fitted (apparently only 17 out of ATW's 24 will be / are fitted). That's another thing, have they fitted all 17 yet, and has ERTMS been switched on to Aberystwyth?

All 24 have reportedly been fitted for several months now.

 

[Rhydgaled]

Me too, I love the rancid stained carpet below the windows. I also love the stained and threadbare carpets on the saloon floors. The grey interiors compliment the carpets and other dated and dirty decor to give a delightfull and cheerful travelling experience

I hope they do as good a job as SWT/EMT. Their refurb provides a complete opposit to the current ATW decor.

Ok, replace the carpet on the wall below the windows with a brand new shiny one, but the same colour and otherwise exactly the same as the old one. As for the carpet on the floor, I never said I liked that did I?

I'm not particularlly attached to most of the decor, but I am rather fond of those blue strips on and beneath the luggage racks, because of the association with the good-old livery (the old Wales & West logo that appears on the information screens at a certain station gives me a good feeling also).

All 24 have reportedly been fitted for several months now.

!!!!!!!!!!! Whatever happened to only 17 being fitted then?

 

[387star]

the old Wales & West logo that appears on the information screens at a certain station gives me a good feeling
At St Keyne station in Cornwall I rolled back the branding on a sign and it had both Wessex Trains and Wales and West Prism Rail signage under FGW!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
I have been on a website which reported complaints about the refurbishment which centres on the seats not lining up with the windows and less leg room. There has been immense anger among staff they were not consulted

 

[Arriva158]

the old Wales & West logo that appears on the information screens at a certain station gives me a good feeling
At St Keyne station in Cornwall I rolled back the branding on a sign and it had both Wessex Trains and Wales and West Prism Rail signage under FGW!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
I have been on a website which reported complaints about the refurbishment which centres on the seats not lining up with the windows and less leg room. There has been immense anger among staff they were not consulted

The Mid Wales Rail Users had a hissy fit with the lining up of the windows, don't see too much of a problem to be honest, if it was, then the most of the rolling stock out there today would be in problems! ... but the odd seat (because of ATW's refurb apparently looking like EMT's but blue) without a window view is not too much of a problem to me, and most people!

 

[Rhydgaled]

the old Wales & West logo that appears on the information screens at a certain station gives me a good feeling
At St Keyne station in Cornwall I rolled back the branding on a sign and it had both Wessex Trains and Wales and West Prism Rail signage under FGW!

I think the station I'm refering to has this too, and I've been tempted to peel of the ATW turquoise there myself.

 

[Helvellyn]

I've been tempted to peel of the ATW turquoise there myself.

Why? It's effectively wanton vandalism. Next thing we'll have people on here complaining about the state of station signage, with peeling vinyls (because they've been pulled back so the curious can see what is underneath).

 

[Rhydgaled]

Why? It's effectively wanton vandalism. Next thing we'll have people on here complaining about the state of station signage, with peeling vinyls (because they've been pulled back so the curious can see what is underneath).

I didn't peel it though, I resisted the temptation. However, in my opinion, slapping that vibrant Arriva turquoise on stuff (the BR and GWR station benches especially), that was in many cases previously rather attractive, is wanton vandalism. And on people complaining about the state of station signage, I didn't mean I was tempted to peel the corner to see what's underneath, I meant I was tempted to peel it off entirely to get the previous dark blue back.

 

[connor7777]

Does the refurb programme include painting the train exterior, i hope so because the grey is terrible?

 

[387star]

Yes! They will recieve a new livery with the welsh dragon!

 

[fgwrich]

Yes! They will recieve a new livery with the welsh dragon!

Think that it's more of a case that all refurbished 158s will be repainted into the current Arriva Trains Wales / Trenau Arriva Cymru Livery, but will include a Welsh dragon somewhere on the livery to show that the refurbishment has been funded by the WAG....As WAG, Im sure (Correct me if im wrong), Has no plains to introduce a new livery onto the ATW Fleet until the next franchise...

 

[Arriva158]

Any News when 158840 (the one getting refurbished at the minute) will be out of Crewe?

 

[Ivo]

Can anyone one explain why I saw one on Saturday that did *not* have the Arriva cream bit on the front as they usually do? Or are all 158s like this?

For the record, it was coupled to a grey one, and no prizes for guessing which looked better... [the aquamarine one, obviously]

 

[Arriva158]

You mean all-over aquamarine livery?

That's applied to : 158828/837/840 (840 being the one in Crewe LNWR atm)
If it helps at all, 828 has its Arriva logos stuck too high up on the carriage and looks ridiculous with 3 different coloured doors (grey/white/blue) and 837 has them in the right place, 840 is the one with Arriva Trains Wales written on it with a yellow stripe.

 

[387star]

livery was amended on a number of occasions not that it went very far... Arriva are a disgrace

 

[MCR247]

Get real

 

[WSnook37025]

Think that it's more of a case that all refurbished 158s will be repainted into the current Arriva Trains Wales / Trenau Arriva Cymru Livery, but will include a Welsh dragon somewhere on the livery to show that the refurbishment has been funded by the WAG....As WAG, Im sure (Correct me if im wrong), Has no plains to introduce a new livery onto the ATW Fleet until the next franchise...

wrong!

my housemate is a fitter on the new unit and ive seen photos. its in the livery that the class 57 has. and it has WAG branding

 

[sprinterguy]

158840 looks very smart in the “Gerald” colour scheme. This does however mean that ATWs’ 158 fleet is going to be in an even wider range of liveries for a while: It doesn’t exactly send out a unified message when there’s Wales and Borders silver, two variants of ATW standard livery and now “Gerald” green/blue liveried trains running about!

And if a standard livery is declared for the All Wales franchise when it is renewed in a few years’ time, then there could be yet another new livery appearing, madness! Although, personally, I’d very much like to see the Valley Lines livery adapted as a Welsh National livery.