Knorr-Bremse Rail Systems has successfully completed a significant interim door overhaul for the c2c Class 357 ‘Electrostar’ fleet, securing the long-term reliability and availability of the trains that serve thousands of passengers across London and Essex every day.
As the Electrostar fleet’s door systems reached a critical stage in their maintenance lifecycle, a comprehensive overhaul became essential to ensure ongoing safety and reliability. To carry out this complex programme without disrupting passenger services, the fleet’s maintainer, Alstom, turned to Knorr-Bremse – a trusted partner of more than 25 years with proven expertise in rail vehicle systems.
The project, delivered at Alstom’s East Ham Depot, covered the entire fleet of 74 Class 357 Electrostar trains, totalling 1,184 passenger doors. Using original equipment components from Knorr-Bremse’s IFE subsidiary, a team of five on-site technicians carried out a complete overhaul of worn components and implemented a crucial cam modification, bringing all doors up to the latest Electrostar standard.
Despite initial engineering challenges encountered, the Knorr-Bremse team streamlined its processes and subsequently achieved the delivery of one train per week, maintaining an impressive 96.3 percent on-time delivery record.
Richard Campbell, Services Project Manager at Knorr-Bremse, who oversaw the programme, said: “This project was a significant challenge, both in scale and complexity, but through the commitment of our on-site team and the strong collaboration with Alstom we achieved an excellent outcome.
“Overhauling nearly 1,200 doors to the latest standard while keeping the trains in daily passenger service is a great accomplishment. It underlines Knorr-Bremse’s ability to deliver reliable, high-quality aftermarket solutions that make a real difference to our customers and, ultimately, to passengers.”
The contract with Knorr-Bremse involved 74 four-car units, initially built at Alstom’s Derby Litchurch Lane Works between 1999 and 2002, and currently leased from Angel Trains and Porterbrook.
Ian Kerr, General Manager East Ham at Alstom, said: “Ensuring the reliability of our Derby-built c2c Electrostar fleet is vital to delivering the safe and dependable service that passengers expect every day. By working closely with Knorr-Bremse, we were able to complete a significant maintenance milestone, strengthening the long-term performance and resilience of the fleet.
“Knorr-Bremse’s technical expertise and on-site support were invaluable in helping us achieve this outcome, and we are very pleased with the quality and efficiency of the project.”
Lead image credit: Knorr-Bremse
