If you see one of these Northern carriages, it’s a new one

If you catch the train between Preston and Blackpool or along the eastern line to Leeds and York, this is the comfort you can now expect.

Northern has unveiled te first of its partly refurbished trains. The Class 158 is in service on the York to Blackpool route.

Carriages have been repainted, new carpets laid and seat cushions have been replaced and recovered. There’s also new LED lighting.

Inside the new look Northern carriages

Managing Director for Northern Alex Hynes said: “We are committed to bringing real improvements for our customers and transforming rail travel in the North, but we appreciate this won’t happen overnight. Our trains will be phased in and out of refurbishment in order to ensure minimum impact on our daily services, and we are excited to welcome this first milestone; our first train back in service for our customers.

“There are still plenty of improvements to come for this train and the rest of the fleet, including the installation of FREE customer WiFi and even further enhancements to the on board experience, but we think our customers will agree that this is a great start.”

Recovered seats, not caked in chewing gum

281 brand new carriages are being brought into the fleet as the Pacer trains are gradually removed from service.

Read more: Major engineering work between Blackpool and Preston

The new carriages also have designated wheelchair spaces and ‘call for aid’ facilities and an improved passenger information systems.

Clearer display systems so you don’t miss your stop

On-board toilets have also been refurbished and include baby changing facilities.

Do you use Northern trains? What do you think about the revamp? Let us know your views in the comments below