CCTV And Sockets For New Fife Trains

Rail passengers in Fife are to benefit from 40 new trains introduced by Scotrail as part of a £14m modernisation project.

The new 2-carriage Class-158s will have better lighting, at-seat power sockets and new CCTV systems. They will also have automated passenger-counting systems, which keep a tally of numbers boarding and leaving.

The first train will leave the Springburn depot in Glasgow tomorrow morning and will be on the track ready for the opening day of the new Borders Railway.

Derek Mackay, Minister for Transport and Islands, 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. I am also particularly pleased that, in the process, Scottish jobs are being supported with these improvement works delivered by workers at Knorr-Bremse RailServices’ depot.

"Passengers will soon see more of these refurbished trains rolling out on routes all over Scotland and, fittingly, the first carriages off the production line will start their journey as part of the historic Borders Railway launch, with all the benefits that will bring for the Borders, Midlothian and Edinburgh economy."

The revamped trains will be rolled out at a rate of roughly one a month between now and April 2018 on routes across Scotland, including the Fife Circle.

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’ve 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."