£100m train upgrade boosts comfort and reliability across the South East’s busiest rail networks

Credit: Southeastern

Millions of passengers in the south east are set to benefit from the completion of a £100 million train upgrade project, the largest of its kind in the UK. The final train under Project Aurora has now rolled out of Southern’s Selhurst depot in South London, marking the end of a five-year programme that upgraded 304 ‘Electrostar’ trains across the Southern, Gatwick Express, Great Northern and Southeastern networks.

The project, delivered on time and within budget, has upgraded 1,222 carriages with modern features including plug and USB sockets at every seat, new passenger information screens, LED lighting, improved Wi-Fi, and a digital “backbone” to enhance reliability and maintenance efficiency.

Funded by rolling stock company Porterbrook and delivered by Southern engineers in-house, the scheme represents one of the largest and most complex fleet upgrades ever undertaken in the UK. The improvements were introduced as the rail industry marks the 200th anniversary of the modern railway.

Steve Lammin, GTR’s Engineering Director, said: “The success of this modernisation scheme has resulted in wide-ranging benefits to passengers on some of the country’s busiest routes and I’d like to thank everyone whose dedication contributed to this. A project of this scale to be completed in-house by Southern engineers is a really impressive feat and has been key to the speed we’ve managed to get upgraded trains out and serving customers again.”

The final train, Southern unit 387305, is now back in service across London, Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire and Kent. To mark the achievement, staff at Selhurst depot were celebrated for their five years of dedication.

John Whitehurst, GTR’s Chief Operating Officer, said: “This project is a great example of what can be achieved through true industry collaboration to deliver meaningful benefits for passengers and the wider network. Projects like this demonstrate how GTR’s expertise will make a significant contribution to the future success of Great British Railways.”

At the height of the project, engineers completed two full train upgrades per week. In total, the programme required 280 kilometres of wiring, 39,000 LED light tubes, 36,000 power sockets with USB ports, and 2.8 million fixings and fastenings.

Ben Ackroyd, Chief Operating Officer at Porterbrook, said: “This has always been about making sure that we provide passengers with the best quality trains that we can, and we’re confident that they will see the benefits of these extensive upgrades. It’s been a real team effort, and I want to thank GTR, Alstom and all the other companies involved for playing their part in Project Aurora’s success.”

The upgraded trains now feature new energy-efficient lighting, forward-facing CCTV for incident monitoring, and smart onboard systems that improve reliability. The digital upgrades enable engineers to diagnose potential faults before trains arrive for maintenance, reducing downtime and improving overall service resilience. The installation of track debris CCTV and passenger counting technology also allows operators to improve timetables and safety monitoring.

Alstom, the UK’s leading supplier of trains and services, supported the project by providing design expertise, technical specifications, and materials.

Steve Harvey, Alstom’s Services Director UK and Ireland, said: “Aurora marks a landmark achievement for UK rail, and I’m immensely proud of Alstom’s pivotal role in delivering this transformation. Completing the country’s largest fleet upgrade on time and on budget is a true testament to the dedication and expertise of our teams.”

Project Aurora received national recognition at the 2023 National Rail Awards, winning Fleet Achievement of the Year for its efficiency and the scale of work delivered.

GTR operates the UK’s largest Electrostar fleet, running across London, Surrey, Sussex, Kent and the south coast, including Great Northern and Gatwick Express routes. The completion of Project Aurora marks a major step forward in improving reliability, sustainability, and passenger experience for millions of daily commuters and travellers in the south east.