Railway operator to fix notorious noise on fleet of Sussex trains

A familiar train noise is about to become a thing of the past for travellers across Sussex and beyond.

Southern Rail has announced it will silence the distinctive squeaking noise of its seat-back tray tables by fitting quieter parts to its fleet of Class 377 trains.

Louis Rambaud, Southern’s chief customer officer, said: “We’re all familiar with the moment you lower a table and feel like you’ve announced yourself to the whole carriage.

“This is quickly becoming a thing of the past as we refurbish our trains to make journeys even more comfortable.

“We’re hot on the heels of change, tackling even the squeakiest of details, as we know small improvements like these often make the biggest difference to your journey.”

The Class 377 trains, part of Southern’s Electrostar fleet, operate across large parts of the Sussex network, including key routes such as Brighton to London and Brighton to Portsmouth and Southampton.

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The improvement programme involves replacing more than 31,000 rubber bushes in the tray tables with a quieter nylon versions, reducing friction and eliminating the squeak.

There are two bushes per tray table and around 86 tables per train unit, totalling 31,304 bushes across Southern’s fleet of 182 Class 377 trains.

The upgrade is part of a larger refurbishment scheme underway at the operator’s Selhurst Depot in south London, where one train undergoes a full overhaul each week.

As part of the programme, each train receives an inspection, a repaint, and new seat upholstery and carpets, as well as repairs or modifications to any outstanding issues.

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