Chiltern Railways has began a £6 million refurbishment of their West Midlands trains which will add another dimension to passengers overall journey experience.

Over the next 5 months, passengers will gradually see the changes take shape in the entire fleet of Clubman (Class 168) trains, which predominantly travel between Birmingham and London Marylebone via Banbury, with the project due for completion by autumn.

Managing Director Cath Proctor said: “We are listening to our passengers and one of the things they are asking for is a better approach to our longer distance business passengers, so we are responding with this investment. “The Clubman trains were the first to be manufactured once the railways were privatised. These trains were very popular with our passengers. Now, 10 years on, our passenger’s needs have changed. We are focused on staying on top of the game and putting right the new things customers want to make their journey more enjoyable. The refurbished Clubman trains will be fresh, clean and comfortable. There will be a complete redecoration throughout with new fabric, carpet, paint work, and lighting.

Cath Proctor continued “Business travel is very different to what it was 10 years ago. In response to our business passengers needs we will be introducing new tables, specifically designed for easy laptop use. There is no table like this in the railway to our knowledge and we hope this will provide the best option for passengers working on their way to work. We are also introducing an entire new approach to our catering which will see filter coffee introduced on new sleek trolleys with a new range of food and drinks from a range of local suppliers.

Reliability modifications will also be introduced to ensure Chiltern Railways trains break down even less, improving on the already impressive performance figures.

Overall, an average of 95.2% of Chiltern Railways train services run on time according to the last National Passenger Survey (NPS) results, making the train operator the best performing Train Company on the main land.

The refurbishment of the Clubman fleet will meet the needs of passengers in the West Midlands and will give the trains a refreshing new look both inside and out.

Highlights of refurbishment:
• New tables with 4 laptop work areas.
• Power points for laptop work areas.
• New sleek catering trolleys with a new range of refreshments.
• New areas for our catering trolleys to be securely located.
• Introduction of the ‘All Inclusive Business Ticket’
• New internal colour schemes.
• New fabric on our seats and new carpet.
• A fresh coat of exterior paint on our older units.
• Brighter, whiter amenities.