Class 376 Electrostar refurbishment on Southeastern Metro

Class 376 Electrostar refurbishment has delivered the first fully upgraded train back into passenger service on Southeastern’s network.

This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

The programme is being carried out in partnership between Alstom, Southeastern and Eversholt Rail, according to Alstom, and is intended to make daily journeys on the busy Metro routes between North Kent and South East London more comfortable for passengers.

Class 376 Electrostar refurbishment across the 36-train fleet

All 36 units in Southeastern’s Derby-built Class 376 Electrostar fleet are undergoing a full mid-life refresh that covers both interiors and exteriors. The aim is to improve comfort, convenience and accessibility while keeping the trains aligned with the demands of Metro services between North Kent and South East London. As a result, the upgraded electric multiple units are presented as a more modern Metro fleet for passengers across South East London and Kent, a direction also highlighted in Southeastern’s fleet upgrade announcements.

Alstom notes that this refurbishment marks a key milestone in its cooperation with Southeastern and Eversholt Rail to provide that more modern fleet. The first upgraded unit has now returned to service with interior improvements such as at-seat power, which, together with other enhancements, is expected to make a noticeable difference for customers using the Southeastern Metro network.

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Passenger benefits on Southeastern Metro routes

For Metro route customers, the refresh focuses on the quality of the on-board environment. The trains now feature fully refreshed interiors with refurbished seating to create more welcoming saloons. Convenient at-seat power and USB sockets allow passengers to charge their devices while travelling, and bright, energy-saving LED lighting throughout the saloons helps to provide a modern, well-lit space on board.

The scale of the Class 376 refurbishment programme is substantial. Once work has been completed on all 36 trains, the project partners will have delivered 11,000 refurbished seats and installed more than 4,000 power sockets.

Around 29,000 interior components – including panels, grab poles, trims and cappings that protect surfaces from damage – will have been fitted across the fleet. To complement the interior improvements, each train is also receiving a sleek new blue exterior livery. These changes echo the upgrades described when the first refreshed train was unveiled for passengers, as previously covered by Railway Supply.

Accessibility upgrades form another core strand of the work on these Southeastern Metro routes. The refurbished trains are equipped with brighter orange grab poles and handles that are easier to spot, clearly marked priority seats in orange fabric, fresh anti-slip strips at the doors to support safer boarding and alighting, and large contrasting colour panels on exterior door buttons so that they stand out more clearly for passengers.

Project partners and delivery at Grove Park Centre of Excellence

Within this fleet refresh, Alstom is responsible for the engineering and for supplying all materials required for the interior refurbishment and the installation of at-seat power throughout each train. The company is working with Southeastern and Eversholt Rail to maintain a consistent standard of upgrade across all Class 376 Electrostar units in the Eversholt Rail fleet.

The refurbishment work itself is taking place at the Grove Park Centre of Excellence in South East London. After the entry into service of the first upgraded train, No. 376027, further refurbished units will join Southeastern’s Metro fleet on a regular basis. According to Southeastern, refreshed trains will be introduced throughout 2026 and into 2027, forming an important part of its wider plan to deliver better journeys.

This Class 376 fleet upgrade also sits alongside Southeastern’s broader fleet strategy, which includes procuring a newer, more accessible replacement Metro fleet in the future to deliver additional benefits for customers and taxpayers. In the meantime, the current mid-life refresh concentrates on improving the passenger experience on existing Metro services between North Kent and South East London.

Eversholt Rail comments that it is “fantastic” to see the first of its Class 376 trains back in service following the second phase of the refurbishment programme, and underlines its commitment to upgrading fleets to provide a much-improved passenger experience and encourage more people to travel by rail. The company intends to continue working with Southeastern and Alstom as the remainder of the refurbished Class 376 trains progress through the programme.

The Class 376 Electrostar fleet was originally built at Alstom’s Litchurch Lane Works in Derby, the UK’s only facility that designs, engineers, builds and tests trains for both domestic and export markets. The units first entered service in 2004, and the current mid-life refresh is being used to renew interiors and exteriors so the trains can continue to play a central role on Southeastern Metro services.

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