The biggest overhaul of bogies belonging to the UK’s hardest working train fleet has reached a major milestone with the initial phase of the project completed by Alstom, the country’s leading train supplier.
The work has seen Alstom overhaul 1,148 bogies – a framework with wheels that sits underneath the train carriage – across Avanti West Coast’s Class 390 Pendolino fleet.
All 35, 11-carriage Pendolinos have had their sets of 22 bogies examined and reconditioned to give them a new lease of life after clocking up over 750,000 miles – the equivalent distance of travelling to the moon three times.
In just one year, 770 bogies have been revamped by Alstom’s historic facility in Crewe – a centre of excellence for component repair and overhaul.
Each week the bogies and traction motors (an electric motor that generates the power to rotate the wheels of a train) are transported by road to Crewe Works, where they are disassembled, and their subcomponents refurbished to like-new condition.
The bogie frames are separated from the wheelsets and washed to remove excess dirt and oil, then stripped into component parts that are reconditioned before being painted and reassembled.
Heavy overhaul
It is part of a wider programme of work on the Pendolinos – known as a heavy overhaul, which each week sees component parts including, pantographs, train control and information systems, batteries, and valves reconditioned or replaced. In one week, Alstom’s teams in Crewe and Manchester will replace 24,456 individual fixings and 9,511 parts, as well as repair 249 items.
The heavy overhaul, which follows the award-winning £117 million investment programme to refurbish the Alstom-built Pendolino trains, is designed to ensure the fleet continues to provide a reliable service.
“We are thrilled to reach this important milestone in the overhaul of the Avanti West Coast Pendolino fleet’s bogies. This project showcases the outstanding expertise and dedication of our team in Crewe,” said Peter Broadley, Managing Director, Services UK and Ireland at Alstom.
He added: “By ensuring these trains continue to perform at their best, we are not only preserving the legacy of Crewe as a centre of railway excellence but also contributing to a more reliable and efficient rail service for passengers across the UK. We look forward to continuing this vital work in partnership with Avanti West Coast.”
Family connection
A team of 35 highly skilled workers employed full-time are dedicated to the project at Crewe – many of them have a family connection.
These include husband and wife, Glenn Pearson and Karen Shaw, who work at the end of the Pendolino bogie production line. Glenn tests the bogies by simulating different scenarios they would experience on the West Coast Main Line. Karen, along with her son’s partner, Danni Knott, then carries out a thorough pre-delivery inspection.
Glenn and Karen worked together previously maintaining ambulance vehicles for 15 years. They joined the rail industry, along with Danni, to utilise their mechanical engineering, quality inspection, and electrical skills following a recruitment drive by Alstom.
“Working on the railway was a massive step change. You don’t realise the scale of the Pendolinos and their components until you work on them. Glenn, Karen, and I love our jobs and being at the end of the production line allows you to appreciate everything that has been done,” said Danni.
Elsewhere, partners Adam and Casey, who have a combined service of 17 years, work on a bogie production line for another fleet of trains. Adam is responsible for inspecting the assembled bogies. Casey, who works on the bogie final assembly section as a Team Leader, began an Apprenticeship with Alstom in 2017 – following in the footsteps of her grandad.
“My grandad worked at Crewe Works. He’d be over the moon to know I’m part of Crewe’s railway heritage and playing a key role in maintaining the UK’s trains,” said Casey.
She added: “It’s rewarding work. You feel a sense of pride when the bogies leave Crewe and it’s exciting to know they will play a part in creating memories for people travelling by train.”
