NEW TRAINS THAT are destined to roll up soon at Moray railway stations were being unveiled by ScotRail this week.
The first of 40 Class 158 trains that form a £14million modernisation project was revealed at a special event at Glasgow’s Springburn depot.
With 137-seats the trains are fitted with CCTV and automated passenger counting systems, while seats are aligned in a manner that offers panoramic views along Scotland’s most picturesque routes.
The first new carriages rolled out of the depot yesterday – just in time for the opening of the new Borders Railway. However the new trains will be utilized on a number of routes, including journeys from Keith, Elgin and Forres to Inverness or Aberdeen and beyond to the north and south.
At the launch was the minister for Transport and Islands, Derek Mackay, who said: “We are investing record amounts in Scotland’s railways and, with passenger numbers increasing by more than six million last year, these refurbished trains will further improve the travel experience.
“Passengers will soon see more of these refurbished trains rolling out on routes all over Scotland.”
The trains will be introduced at a rate of around one a month from now until April 2018. ScotRail Alliance managing director Phil Verster said: “Completing the first refurbishment is a big moment for this exciting project, which I believe will make a real difference for passengers using Scotland’s railways.
“We have listened to customers, and that feedback is reflected in the upgrades being made. Seats are better aligned alongside windows, interiors are brighter and more modern, and people can charge phones and laptops during their journeys.”