CrossCountry has begun the refurbishment of its 29 Class 170 two and three-car Turbostar trains with entry into service on 30 January 2008 of the first two-car set No. 170116 in the company’s striking and distinctive new livery.

The warm black front ends, red doors and bold logo branding will make the trains easily recognisable to customers at stations on the routes between Cardiff and Nottingham and Birmingham New Street and Stansted Airport.

Exterior repainting, due as part of scheduled overhaul, is being carried out at the EWS Toton Depot, near Nottingham and Marcroft Depot, Stoke-on-Trent, and will be completed by December this year. Interior refurbishment to provide bright and fresh accommodation with more seats and luggage space will begin in April at Transys Projects Ltd’s depot in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex. Seats will be retrimmed, new carpets fitted and at-seat power points installed in the two-plus-one seating of the First Class accommodation on every train.

To avoid train shortages while they are being refurbished the work is being phased to coincide with scheduled maintenance, so some coaches will be in service temporarily with reworked exteriors or interiors only until the programme is completed.

CrossCountry Managing Director Andy Cooper said: “Our Class 170 trains, which serve some of our busiest routes through Birmingham, are being refurbished to a standard of the highest quality. They will make a significant contribution to our commitment to provide up to 35 percent more seating and additional luggage space across our network.”