Millions of passengers in the south east have benefited from a mammoth \u00a3100m train upgrade project \u2013 the biggest in the UK \u2013 with the final unit rolling off the production line this weekend.<\/p>\n
The 304th<\/sup> \u2018Electrostar\u2019 train upgraded through Project Aurora rounds off a project which has completed on-time and on-budget over the past five years at Southern\u2019s Selhurst depot in South London. It brings reliability and onboard benefits for Southern, Gatwick Express, Great Northern and Southeastern passengers.<\/p>\n The award-winning works were funded by rolling stock company Porterbrook, the UK\u2019s leading rolling stock financier and asset management company, and completed by a dedicated team of Southern engineers who have been busy installing plug sockets, information screens, LED lighting, improved WiFi, and a new digital \u201cbackbone\u201d to the train which has helped speed up the repairs process meaning trains spend less time out of service.<\/p>\n With more trains added to the scope mid-scheme, Aurora became one of the largest fleet upgrades, with 1,222 carriages completed in time for the 200th anniversary of the birth of the modern railway.<\/p>\n Steve Lammin, GTR\u2019s Engineering Director, said: <\/strong>\u201cThe success of this modernisation scheme has resulted in wide-ranging benefits to passengers on some of the country\u2019s busiest routes and I\u2019d like to thank everyone whose dedication contributed to this.<\/p>\n \u201cA project of this scale to be completed in-house by Southern engineers is a really impressive feat and has been key to the speed we\u2019ve managed to get upgraded trains out and serving customers again.<\/p>\n \u201cI hope passengers are feeling the benefit of these improvements as they use our trains to visit friends and family and explore some of the great destinations our railway has to offer.\u201d<\/p>\n