First Great Western Trains intends to run the HST 1 vehicles for another ten years. As part of the general overhaul and modernization project, each vehicle will receive a new MTU engine. As a result, Voith Turbo will have to update the cooling systems to these new conditions.

After the first order in 2002 for the 35 cooling systems in question, First Great Western Trains placed a follow-on order for another 87 cooling systems in 2006. According to the Fleet Improvement Engineer in charge, Martin Costello, these systems, too, performed excellently in the HST Class 43, the second generation of the high-speed trains. 

For Michael Stahlmann of Voith Turbo, this major overhaul and modernization project is a very important order. "We were able to prove that our cooling systems operate excellently and reliably. Additionally, they stand out by low life-cycle costs and low-cost maintenance in day-to-day operation. This creates trust and strengthens our close relationship with the operator First Great Western Trains - through our Heidenheim workshop and our local Marketing Company".

Voith Turbo, the specialist for hydrodynamic drive, coupling and braking systems for road, rail and industrial applications, as well as for ship propulsion systems, is a Group Division of Voith AG.

Voith sets standards worldwide for papermaking technology, power transmission, energy technology, and industrial services. Voith was founded in 1867. With approximately 34,000 employees, annual sales of € 3.7 billion and over 250 locations worldwide, Voith is one of the largest family-owned companies in Europe. Voith is an official partner of the initiative "Germany - Land of Ideas."