Noticed in a Northern class 153 yesterday a notice announcing that all their 24 class 153's will be refurbished during the next 13 months (due for completion late 2014)
They only have 18 153s!
They also have 7 x 155s which could be included as part of the same refurbishment but that would make 25 trains not 24 trains.
I'd have thought the 150s are more in need of a 'refresh' than the 153/155s... Even the 142s, come to mention it!
I wonder whether the ex-ATN 142's refresh may consist of putting a Dot-Matrix display in the front of each unit to match the ex-Merseyrail ones?
Perhaps some of them are so badly in need, they have to be done twice. They could certainly do with some more horsepower, or something to improve their lethargic performance.
The ex FNW 153s are awful and are in desperate need of some TLC. The 155s internally seem fine and certainly nothing a deep clean won't solve. I'm assuming they'll receive an external repaint as the angular livery does look rather dated (and grubby) now
MYSTERY SOLVED
Northern are refurbishing their 24 x ex-ATN 156s. They have put up posters in units that aren't 156s detailing this but they do talk about units being based at Allerton and Heaton being refurbished and the photo on the poster does show a 156 not a 153.
Saw one in a 150 today, bit misleading!
Probably replacing one of the safety adverts that were on a while back. Same as when 142/144s etc go out of the West Yorkshire area but have the Metro adverts on.
Do any 142s have Metro adverts or branding?