Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on what date her department granted consent for the upgrade programme of South Western Railway’s Salisbury depot based 30 Class 158/159 trains; and what is her assessment of the (a) cost, (b) value for money of this overhaul work and (c) the life expiry date of these trains.

South Western Railway (SWR) are currently undertaking scheduled heavy maintenance of their Class 158/159 fleet. This essential programme involves the full strip down, inspection and repair of the units, alongside enhancements to the onboard environment including refreshed interiors, new seat covers, repainting and the installation of at seat power which will improve the customer experience.

SWR have not submitted any specific request for Departmental consent for this upgrade programme as they are responsible for planning and delivering their own maintenance and any associated upgrade activity within their existing budgets.

SWR’s transfer into public ownership on 25 May 2025 marked an important step in our work to rebuild a railway that consistently delivers for passengers. As a publicly owned operator, SWR is now subject to rigorous and bespoke performance standards, and their dedicated teams work hard to ensure that maintenance and customer focused improvements support safe operation, improved reliability and better outcomes for the communities they serve.

The Department typically assumes that rolling stock has an operational life of around 35–40 years, although the precise lifespan is determined by the rolling stock market based on condition, investment and operational needs.