Class 321 Renatus

[liamf656]

Just a quick question having dug deep for the info to no avail, does anyone have to hand the unit numbers of the 321s which were refurbished in the Renatus scheme? Were further refurbishments also planned? Thanks

 

[JonathanH]

321301-321330 were the 30 units given the Renatus upgrade.

This suggests that the upgrade was speculative in the hope of finding further work - https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/emr-class-222’s-declining-reliability.289251/page-22#post-7808770

This post from 2018 suggests one reason why commercially it was worth Eversholt's gamble - https://www.railforums.co.uk/thread...ing-stock-updates.143516/page-42#post-3563546

 

[Magdalia]

Just a quick question having dug deep for the info to no avail, does anyone have to hand the unit numbers of the 321s which were refurbished in the Renatus scheme? Were further refurbishments also planned? Thanks

Have you seen these archived news releases on the Eversholt website?

Class 321 Demonstrator launched on the Abellio Greater Anglia Network

A Member of Eversholt UK Rails Group

eversholtrail.co.uk

Eversholt Rail, in partnership with Abellio Greater Anglia and Wabtec, today launches the Class 321 Demonstrator at Liverpool Street Station. The train has undergone a high–specification refurbishment and technology upgrades. It will be running in normal service on the Abellio Greater Anglia network for a year. During this period, Eversholt Rail and Abellio Greater Anglia will be seeking passenger views on the many new features showcased, all delivered at a fraction of the cost of a new train.

This is dated 1 December 2013 and the Demonstrator was 321448, which could be regarded as the prototype for Renatus.

Class 321 Renatus

A Member of Eversholt UK Rails Group

eversholtrail.co.uk

In keeping with Eversholt Rail’s ongoing commitment to deliver contemporary and high performing fleets to its customers, the new-look Class 321 “Renatus” fleet, which is being delivered by Wabtec Rail, will provide a step change in passenger environment, maintainability and cost effectiveness. The first unit is due into works next month at the Wabtec Rail facility in Doncaster with the first of the upgraded Renatus trains entering service early next year.

This is dated 1 August 2015 and the initial tranche was 321301-330. It suggests that Renatus was a significant investment for both Eversholt and Wabtec.

 

[Intercity_225]

Could this be one of the most pointless refurbishments ever?

 

[liamf656]

Have you seen these archived news releases on the Eversholt website?

Class 321 Demonstrator launched on the Abellio Greater Anglia Network

A Member of Eversholt UK Rails Group

eversholtrail.co.uk

This is dated 1 December 2013 and the Demonstrator was 321448, which could be regarded as the prototype for Renatus.

Class 321 Renatus

A Member of Eversholt UK Rails Group

eversholtrail.co.uk

This is dated 1 August 2015 and the initial tranche was 321301-330. It suggests that Renatus was a significant investment for both Eversholt and Wabtec.

Very informative, thank you

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 19 Aug 2026 ==

321301-321330 were the 30 units given the Renatus upgrade.

This suggests that the upgrade was speculative in the hope of finding further work - https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/emr-class-222’s-declining-reliability.289251/page-22#post-7808770

This post from 2018 suggests one reason why commercially it was worth Eversholt's gamble - https://www.railforums.co.uk/thread...ing-stock-updates.143516/page-42#post-3563546

Thank you, some insightful stuff in those threads

 

[81A]

Could this be one of the most pointless refurbishments ever?

SWR class 442s and 458/4s say hello!

 

[apinnard]

As someone who worked for Eversholt at the time of the demonstrator, 448, it was touted internally as a speculative refurbishment with a view to attracting interest from tocs who wanted “new” electric stock on a more “cost effective” and quicker basis than brand new. Sadly, it was not to be.

 

[RUK]

Could this be one of the most pointless refurbishments ever?

It was very unfortunate that they didn’t find any further use, because I really enjoyed them as a passenger. For me, the original Class 321 was the first new train in the early 1990s in my area, on the GEML, which made it more attractive to use than the LTS, pre-Class 357, and the addition of air conditioning was great.

 

[StephenHunter]

As someone who worked for Eversholt at the time of the demonstrator, 448, it was touted internally as a speculative refurbishment with a view to attracting interest from tocs who wanted “new” electric stock on a more “cost effective” and quicker basis than brand new. Sadly, it was not to be.

The government mandated new trains for political reasons.

 

[Taunton]

The government mandated new trains for political reasons.

What was unfortunate was that one half of the DfT prioritised new trains in relet franchises, without telling the other half of DfT, who did not let other franchises running obviously short of stock have any of the additional vehicles now available mid-life.

 

[Magdalia]

The government mandated new trains for political reasons.

The reasons were financial not political. The fall in long term interest rates made new rolling stock cheaper.