Knorr-Bremse has reached a new milestone in its programme to overhaul the toilet systems fitted to Class 390 Pendolino trains in the UK. The company has an eight-year contract to repair and modernise 510 units, and 425 of these have already passed through the specialist workshop in Calne.
Knorr-Bremse Rail Systems UK is continuing its extensive overhaul programme for the sanitary systems fitted to the Class 390 Pendolino fleet, trains built by Alstom and used on some of the UK’s most important long-distance rail services.
The contract, signed for a period of eight years, covers the repair and overhaul of 510 sanitary systems and is divided into three main phases of work.
The programme began in September 2025, and to date the Knorr-Bremse team at Calne, in the county of Wiltshire has modernised 425 units.
Up to 18 toilet systems overhauled in a week
The first phase of the contract involved an intensive start-up period, during which Knorr-Bremse and Alstom sought to rapidly build up a sufficient stock of spare parts for fleet maintenance.
Workshop capacity was increased to 15–18 refurbished toilet systems per week, equivalent to the equipment fitted on approximately two complete Pendolino trainsets.
This effort enabled the rapid modernisation of 50 spare units held at Alstom’s Liverpool Traincare Centre.
These can be dispatched to various depots when the systems fitted to trains need to be removed for maintenance, thereby reducing the risk of equipment shortages affecting train availability.
The accelerated programme was jointly designed by Knorr-Bremse and Alstom specifically to meet this need before the project transitions to a sustainable working pace for the coming years.
The systems are completely dismantled and tested before being returned to the train
The process begins with the removal of the toilet units from the train and their transport to the Knorr-Bremse facility in Calne.
Each system is completely dismantled and checked, and components such as vacuum pumps, slide valves and solenoid valves are inspected, reconditioned or replaced, depending on their condition.
After reassembly, each unit undergoes a comprehensive programme of tests before being sent back for fitting onto the train.
“Our team in Calne has made an extraordinary effort to increase refurbishment capacity in the first few months of the contract, which has enabled us to quickly return 50 spare units to service and support the availability of the Pendolino fleet,” said Jack Durkin, Business Manager at Knorr-Bremse Rail Systems UK.
Systems originally supplied by Evac
Knorr-Bremse has over 30 years’ experience in the field of integrated sanitary systems for rolling stock.
The original systems on the Pendolino trains were supplied by Evac, a company that became part of Knorr-Bremse following an acquisition in 2021.
As a result, the manufacturer has both the technical documentation and the necessary expertise to maintain and support the systems installed on the UK fleet throughout their entire lifecycle.
Globally, Knorr-Bremse says it has supplied over 200,000 sanitary systems for rail vehicles.
Pendolino, one of the key fleets for long-distance rail transport in the UK
Alstom considers the programme essential for maintaining the availability of Class 390 trains.
“Establishing the overhaul operation whilst, at the same time, rapidly returning the critical spare parts stock to service has been essential for sustaining the continuous availability of the Class 390 fleet,” said Simran Sandhu, Senior Procurement Project Manager at Alstom.
The programme will continue throughout the eight-year contract period, with the modernised systems set to help maintain the reliability, passenger comfort and operational availability of the Pendolino trains.
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