Southampton, 2012-Sep-18
Southampton residents are being invited to take a ‘Whistle Stop Tour’ of a working train depot - and raise much needed funds for a local charity - as Siemens opens the doors to its Northam traincare facility for the very first time later this month.
Entrance to the exclusive, behind-the-scenes open day, on Saturday, 29 September 2012, is free with refreshments and activities for all the family to enjoy. Siemens employees will be hosting stalls and a cake sale on the day to raise money for local charity Simon Says which offers befriending, bereavement support and counselling for children and young people. The charity was selected for support by the local Siemens charity committee as one of the Siemens maintenance team, based at the train depot, is a volunteer for the charity, running part of its youth support group
The open day will showcase the technology and dedicated maintenance team behind the 172-strong fleet of South West Trains (SWT) operated Siemens Desiro Class 444 and 450 trains based at Northam.
Steve Walker, SWT Fleet Director at Siemens, said: “We are really looking forward to showing local people how much work and preparation goes into ensuring that our trains are safe, clean, well maintained and comfortable for rail passengers.”
He continued: “I’m sure that people frequently pass by and wonder what goes on behind the depot gates. Now they have a perfect opportunity to see for themselves, enjoy a great family day out and help raise money for a worthy cause at the same time.”
Tim Shoveller, Managing Director of the South West Trains and Network Rail Alliance, said: "We're pleased to be working with Siemens on the Whistle Stop Tour open day at Northam.
“As one of the key depots on our network, we look forward to welcoming people to the depot and are sure they will be impressed by the state of the art facilities on offer at this important maintenance facility."
Paula Wiseman, Fundraiser at Simon Says, added: “We are thrilled that our charity was nominated to benefit from such a unique event. The funds raised will help us continue to make a difference to bereaved children in our community. We are very grateful to the staff at Siemens who have made the day possible and we look forward to meeting lots of local people on the day.”
Lucky visitors will take a full tour of the facility, seeing a train raised on jacks ready for maintenance activities, watching train wheels being ‘turned’ (to eliminate any imperfections) and having the opportunity to sit in a driver’s cab. Experts will be on hand to highlight different features on the trains and answer any questions.
The event is restricted to ticket holders only, with preference on ticket issue given to local residents. To register your interest for a tour and obtain your FREE ticket, please visit www.siemens.co.uk/whistlestoptour. Please note that we cannot accept children under the age of three years on the tours and space for pushchairs may be limited in parts of the depot. Find us on Facebook at facebook.com/WhistleStopTour.
ENDS
About Siemens
Siemens was established in the United Kingdom 169 years ago and now employs 12,972 people in the UK. Last year’s revenues were £4.4 billion*. As a leading global engineering and technology services company, Siemens provides innovative solutions to help tackle the world’s major challenges, across the key sectors of energy, industry, infrastructure & cities and healthcare. Siemens has offices and factories throughout the UK, with its headquarters in Frimley, Surrey. The company’s global headquarters is in Munich, Germany. For more information, visit www.siemens.co.uk.
* Data includes intercompany revenue. Data may not be comparable with revenue reported in annual or interim reports.
Siemens Rail Systems
As part of the Siemens Infrastructure & Cities Sector, Siemens Rail Systems Division provides expertise and technology in the full range of rail vehicles – from heavy rail to metros to trams and light-rail vehicles. In the UK, the Division employs around 650 people and maintains over 350 Siemens passenger trains for First TransPennine Express, South West Trains, Heathrow Express, National Express East Anglia, Northern Rail, London Midland and ScotRail.
For more information, contact:
Laurie Waugh,
Head of Communications – Rail Systems,
Siemens plc
Tel: +44 (0)7921 242074
Email: laurie.waugh@siemens.com
