PRESS RELEASE 21 July 2011
Porterbrook Awards Overhaul Contract to RailCare Porterbrook has awarded a contract to RailCare for C6 overhauls to Class 153 and 156 fleets.
As part of the overhaul Porterbrook has taken the decision to undertake the additional work necessary to make the Class 156 fleet compliant with the 1st January 2020 Passengers of Reduced Mobility Technical Specification for Interoperability (PRM TSI) regulations. This means that rather than replacing the fleet before that date with new trains the 156s will be available to the next long term franchisee for the full length of the franchise if so required.
The additional work will include a revised seating layout to provide priority seats; two wheelchair spaces with “call for aid” buttons; a new universal toilet ensuring adequate wheelchair access also fitted with a “call for aid” button, and a passenger information system (PIS). In addition the interior doors between the vestibules and passenger compartment will be removed, external door sounders will be fitted and handrails replaced.
It is Porterbrook’s belief that this is the first of the Sprinter/Super Sprinter series of trains to be made compliant with the regulations and demonstrates that modification is an economic and viable alternative to replacement.
Consideration was also given to undertaking similar work on the Class 153 stock but it was felt that, currently, it was more difficult to make the economic case because of the level of work needed on a single car unit. However, further investigation work will be carried out as will the possibility of reconfiguration into fixed 2-car units.
Notes to Editors:
Porterbrook Leasing Company Limited ("Porterbrook") is a leading player in the rail leasing market and has a rolling stock fleet of over 5,500 vehicles on lease or on order, which includes about 4,000 passenger vehicles. Porterbrook has been highly successful in winning new train orders since privatisation, investing in over 1,800 new passenger vehicles and over 2,000 freight locomotives and wagons, and in the refurbishment of much of its in-fleet equipment. The company also provides ongoing train maintenance services. In October 2008 the Porterbrook Group of companies was acquired by a consortium of investors including Antin Infrastructure Partners (the BNP Paribas sponsored infrastructure fund), Deutsche Bank and OP Trust. RailCare Ltd
Formed in February 2007, the rolling stock services provider is a privately owned limited company. RailCare has become a respected player in the rail market and has, in turn, seen the company grow to in excess of a £50 million business in the space of four years.
It operates sites at both Wolverton in Milton Keynes and Springburn in Glasgow. The geographical positions of these sites also provide RailCare with a unique advantage of offering customers across the breadth of the country accessibility and quick response times to customers’ needs.
RailCare works with its partner companies RDS (Rail Door Solutions), Albatros and TXM Recruit in order to provide an optimum client solution. These partners enable quick delivery response times for both capabilities and skills.
