Average train in Britain was built 21 years ago
- Britain's trains are the oldest on average since records began, figures reveal
- Some carriages are still being used that were built in the 1970s and 1980s
- Caledonian Sleeper that runs from London to Scotland has 42-year-old trains
Industry figures reveal Britain's trains are more than 20 years old on average – the oldest since current records began.
Industry
figures reveal Britain's trains are 21.1 years old on average – the
oldest since current records began – Office of Rail and Road (ORR)
statistics show. But some services run trains built in the 1970s and
1980s
But some services run trains built in the 1970s and 1980s.
The average age of 21.1 years is older than at any point in publicly available records and 60 per cent older than in 2006.
The
ORR has previously said older trains can result in worse reliability,
less comfortable journeys and poorer performance than modern versions,
although it notes that older rolling stock can be refurbished.
Travellers
using the Caledonian Sleeper service between London and Scotland have
to put up with Britain's oldest trains at 42 years old, although completely new sleeper trains are being built by CAF.
Merseyrail, which runs trains in Merseyside, has the second oldest fleet at 38 years old, but again new trains are on order and will soon be in service.
TransPennine Express, which operates
in northern England and Scotland, has the newest trains at an average
of just nine years old. They also have new trains and loco hauled carriages being built.
Campaign for
Better Transport chief executive Stephen Joseph claimed the age of
Britain's trains shows 'just how far the railways have to go to
modernise'.
ORR data shows the average age of rolling stock between January and March each year since 2001.
A
number of new trains were introduced following the end of British Rail
in the mid-1990s but the average age has risen during the past decade.
The
Rail Delivery Group (RDG), representing train operators, says more than
5,500 new carriages will be in use across Britain by the end of 2020
and many other trains are undergoing multi-million pound refurbishments.
Chief
executive Paul Plummer said: 'This will help to deliver our commitment
to boost customer satisfaction so that Britain continues to have the
most highly rated major railway in Europe.'
A new fleet of trains on Great Western Railway costing
£5.7 billion in October was introduced in late 2017
Trains in London and south-east England are typically 18 years old, while regional services are 24 years old.
The
latest research by watchdog Transport Focus found that fewer than seven
out of 10 (68 per cent) passengers on regional trains are satisfied
with the upkeep and repair of carriages, down by two percentage points
in the last 12 months.
