Southern trains: Govia Thameslink overhauls rolling stock

The Electrostar trains are being refurbished at the Selhurst depot

A major revamp of trains operated by Southern is underway.

The operator's 270 Electrostar trains have been in service for up to 20 years, with some having covered nearly two million miles in that time.

New features will include sensors, to enable staff to count passengers and direct them to less-crowded carriages, and 30,000 new USB sockets.

It is hoped the work will mean trains spending less time out of service for maintenance.

Other improvements include environmentally-friendly LED lights and external cameras to alert engineers to problems with the track.

Southern rail is part of Govia Thamselink (GTR), and the operator serves Surrey, Sussex and parts of Hampshire.

It takes a week to refurbish each train, as all seats and tables have to removed in order to rewire the units.

The Electrostars are due to continue in service for at least a decade.

About 30,000 new USB points are being installed on the fleet

The project is being carried out at GTR's Selhurst depot in south London.

The company's engineering director, Steve Lammin, said: "These Electrostars are great trains. Taking on board our passengers' feedback, this comprehensive upgrade will provide an even better on-board experience and more reliability."

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