Stuart Broad Helps Launch New South Western Fleet

Arterio trains will serve local lines including Hounslow Loop

Stuart Broad with the train named in his honour. Picture: SWR

November 29, 2024

South Western Railway (SWR) has marked the rollout out of a new fleet of trains by bringing along Stuart Broad CBE to take part in the celebrations.

The 90 Arterio trains represent a £1billion investment and will increase capacity on lines into Waterloo including on the Hounslow Loop.

The trains are being given sporting themed names with a local connection including Thames Racer for the Boat Race, Ace for Wimbledon and Red Rose for rugby at Twickenham.

The England cricket legend took one a train named Nighthawk this Thursday (28 November) on the short hop from Waterloo to Vauxhall which is the stop for the Oval cricket ground where he took the final wicket in his last Test match. Broad was know as the Nottingham Nighthawk during his career due to a record of making quick runs as a lower order batter.

Five Arterios are already in service, serving the routes to Windsor & Eton Riverside and Shepperton, calling at some of SWR’s busiest stations including Putney, Earlsfield, Richmond and Wimbledon.

The new trains will start appearing at stations such as Chiswick, Brentford, Kew Bridge, Syon Lane and Isleworth in February of next year.

Each ten-car Arterio carries over 50% more customers than the eight-car Class 455 trains they replace, significantly increasing capacity. They also have Wi-Fi, charging points at every seat, real time information, accessible toilets and air conditioning.

To mark the Arterios being named and celebrate the next ten being rolled out, an orchestra played a medley of well-known sporting tunes, including the themes from TV’s Grandstand and Match of the Day and the film Chariots of Fire.

One of the new Arterio train. Picture: SWR

Stuart Broad said, “I’m honoured to join South Western Railway today and name one of their new Arterio trains Nighthawk, a role I had great fun playing for England.

“One of the highlights of my career was taking the final wicket in my last Test match, against Australia at the Oval, one of my favourite places to play. The atmosphere is always incredible and starts long before the first ball of the day is bowled, as fans make their way from Vauxhall down to the ground.

“Trains play a huge role in bringing sports fans to the heart of the action they love, building excitement as they make their way to the big game. It's exciting to think of the Nighthawk journeying across London, connecting even more fans to iconic sporting destinations that bring us all together.”

Putney MP Feur Anderson, who attended the launch said, "This is brilliant news for train users in our local area. I have been continuously campaigning for improved train services to Putney and Wandsworth Town and have met with South Western Railway and Network Rail, lobbying for improvements in reliability, regularity and capacity of trains leaving the station, and for a timeline of physical upgrade to the station itself, including step-free access. Trains in the Arterio fleet will address these issues and improve rail journeys."

Stuart Meek, Interim Managing Director for South Western Railway, added, “Today represents another major milestone on the continuing rollout of our 90 new Arterio trains, which will completely transform every single journey on our suburban network. Introducing a new fleet is a monumental achievement and is the culmination of all the hard work of our colleagues and partners to get these trains on the track.”