Passengers on the Weymouth-Waterloo line can now enjoy a more stylish and comfortable journey with access to 'state-of-the-art' features after trains were refurbished.

South Western Railway (SWR) says the final refurbished Desiro train has entered passenger service.

This announcement comes after it emerged the rail operator was facing an uncertain future and could be nationalised.

The company acknowledged it could lose its franchise contract after recording a loss of £137 million.

In the company's accounts from December, directors said ongoing discussions with the Department for Transport (DfT) could result in the "termination of the contract within the next 12 months" and "services being transferred to a publicly-owned operator".

SWR said its owners had set aside funds to provide for the "maximum unavoidable loss".

In its accounts, directors said talks with the government could also result in the company being asked to submit proposals for a "short term management contract" to continue with the franchise.

SWR’s £70 million refurbishment programme, which began in December 2017, modernised all 172 Class 444 and 450 trains to improve the onboard experience for people travelling long-distance between Weymouth and London.

The final refurbished train, a Class 450, joins the existing Desiro fleet which boast better interiors with state-of-the-art features, including improved Wi-Fi and access to internet entertainment service SWR|Stream, new inductive charging tables and power sockets, refreshed toilets and 'ergonomically designed' seats.

The completion of this rollout means customers will now benefit from 1,305 additional seats in standard-class. The refurbishment was completed by the trains’ original manufacturer, Siemens.

The investment, which was financed by leasing company Angel Trains is part of SWR’s wider £1.2bn plan to offer more capacity and frequent trains, quicker journey times and better connectivity, together with station improvements and a better, smarter ticket buying experience.

Neil Drury, SWR’s Engineering Director, said: "This massive refurbishment programme is a huge investment by SWR which offers customers, using our long-distance services, a quality on-board experience.

"I’m proud to see the final refurbished Class 450 train in the programme enter service, and by the end of this year, more trains will roll-out to help us fulfil our promise of offering 52,000 extra seats over the course of the franchise."

Sambit Banerjee, Managing Director of Siemens Mobility’s Rolling Stock business in the UK, said:

"The full refurbishment of the 172-strong Class 444 and Class 450 ‘Desiro’ fleet is a highly complex and demanding project, which was achieved through very close collaboration with SWR.

"We are extremely proud to achieve this very significant milestone in this project and to be contributing to an enhanced experience for SWR’s passengers."