A MICROWAVE, fridge and on-board toilet are among the specifications ordered by railway infrastructure services company First Engineering for its new fleet of vans.

The company is taking on 75 high-roofed Mercedes-Benz Sprinters to be used as mobile ‘mess-rooms’ by field engineers.

The fleet, worth more than £2 million, is supplied on a contract hire arrangement with Lex Vehicle Leasing.

Fred Strachan, the company’s engineering manager, road transport group, said: ‘These vehicles move men and their tools to rail-side locations, where we are usually replacing sections of track.

‘In remote locations, they can’t just nip round the corner to the bakery so they need things like a microwave oven and fridge to prepare food, hot and cold water and a toilet.

‘All these features are included in the specification of our new Sprinters.’