A greater number of seats and improved CCTV coverage are just some of the features of the newly refurbished East Midlands trains.

A £10m programme to address these issues across 25 East Midlands trains has now been completed, with passengers benefitting from greater security and improved air conditioning in addition to the extra seating.

East Midlands trains run on routes from Norwich to Liverpool, through Peterborough, Nottingham and Sheffield. The group also operates services from London to Derby. The refurbishment programme was undertaken in Derby by DeltaRail in Derby, and took some 20 months to complete, with the stated aims of improvements to passenger safety and comfort.

The most marked difference, however, will be on the Liverpool and Norwich routes according to a spokesperson for east Midlands, with the new carriages being noticeably better for staff and passengers. The internal area of the carriages has been adjusted to compensate for a more efficient seating plan – with 10 per cent more seats – and also for new toilet facilities.

East Midlands’ commercial and customer service director David Horne, said that initial feedback had been extremely positive, while the Peterborough-Ely-Norwich Rail User Group chair, John Saunders, praised the bright decor, clean toilet facilities and the additional seating.

Nottinghamshire Campaign for Better Transport chair, David Thornhill, said that the refurbishment was proof that the rail industry is able to cope with the slow pace of economic recovery if it invested its funds the right way.

East Midlands Trains has earmarked almost £30 million for the fleet improvements, with upgrades also being made to the group’s 11 high speed trains.