See inside Grand Central’s stylish Adelante trains as £9m refurbishment programme completes

Train operator Grand Central is delighted to announce that the refurbishment of its Adelante trains is now complete. 

Thousands of customers across Grand Central’s North East and West Riding routes will benefit from increased comfort and style as the final refurbished train rolled onto the tracks. 

The £9 million, two-year refurbishment programme has seen Grand Central’s fleet of 10 Adelante trains kitted out with smart new interiors, including new seats with fabric and leather edging in standard class and new floor covering throughout. There has been a full refit of the toilet facilities together with improved disabled access and baby changing facilities. 

The Adelante fleet retains the elements important to Grand Central customers including plenty of leg room and table seating. Revamped catering facilities include barista coffee machines, while energy efficient LED lighting has been installed, along with power sockets for charging mobile phones, laptops and other electrical devices. The trains have been given a full repaint inside and out to give them a brighter, fresher look and feel. 

The refurbishment programme is the largest of its kind that Grand Central has undertaken in its 12 year history and it is part of the company’s ongoing multi-million pound investment programme to enhance customer experience on board, online and at stations. 

Dave Hatfield, Fleet Director at Grand Central, said: “We are thrilled that our major Adelante fleet refurbishment programme is now complete. It has transformed our trains and brought them right up to date, with a modern and stylish fleet that is fully fit for the future. 

“At Grand Central, we are committed to offering the best possible customer experience and listening to the improvements our customers would like to see. Thanks to our refurbishment, passengers can enjoy a comfortable, relaxing experience while travelling with us. 

“As with any project of this scale and complexity, our team, partners and suppliers have worked tirelessly to deliver an end result which puts the comfort and convenience of our customers at the forefront. The feedback from passengers has been very positive to date, which we are delighted about.”

The announcement of the project’s completion comes at an exciting time for Grand Central as it is set to launch a new route between Blackpool and London Euston in 2020. The company has also recently been granted access rights by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) to operate an additional daily return service between Sunderland and London Kings Cross until at least 2021.

Meanwhile, Grand Central customers can now enjoy an improved digital experience thanks to the launch of the company’s new ticket booking website and app, designed to give them improved functionality while planning and purchasing their tickets. 
Grand Central recently shared details of its continued £2.6 million station investment scheme, demonstrating its commitment to the communities it serves.

Customer satisfaction levels remain consistently high and Grand Central was named Britain’s best value rail operator for the eighth time in Spring 2019 National Rail Passenger Survey.

To find out more about Grand Central, please visit www.grandcentralrail.com, or follow the railway company on Twitter @GC_Rail, Facebook or LinkedIn.

Download the Grand Central app for a faster and more convenient way to buy train tickets. For more information, visit: www.grandcentralrail.com/app

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Notes to editors:

Grand Central Railway Company Limited is an established train operator which provides direct rail connections from towns and cities in Yorkshire and the North East England with London.

Customer satisfaction levels are consistently high and the rail company was named Britain’s best value rail operator for the eighth time in Spring 2019 National Rail Passenger Survey.

Grand Central operates West Riding services between Bradford Interchange, Low Moor, Halifax, Brighouse, Mirfield, Wakefield Kirkgate, Pontefract Monkhill, Doncaster and London King’s Cross. The rail operator also operates North East services between Sunderland, Hartlepool, Eaglescliffe, Northallerton, Thirsk, York and London King’s Cross. Grand Central will start operating services on the North West between Blackpool, Poulton-le-Fylde, Kirkham and Wesham, Preston, Nuneaton, Milton Keynes and London Euston from Spring 2020.

Grand Central is part of the Arriva group. Arriva is one of the leading providers of passenger transport in Europe, employing over 53,000 people and delivering 2 billion passenger journeys a year across 14 European countries. We are part of Deutsche Bahn (DB), one of the world’s leading passenger and logistics companies, and are responsible for DB's regional passenger transport services outside Germany.

For further information, please contact: 

Sarah Banks/Anna Hodgson 
PR Account Director
0191 261 4250
GrandCentral@gardiner-richardson.com
sarahb@gardiner-richardson.com
annah@gardiner-richardson.com