Siemens starts construction on new £28 million traincare depot in Manchester

More than 100 new jobs are being created at the depot which is due to be completed in March 2006 and will be the main maintenance facility for the 51 Desiro trains. The new roles will include technicians, stores managers, cleaners and supervisors. Plans for a second, smaller depot in York have also been submitted.

Kevin Tutton, managing director of Siemens Transportation Systems, said: “This event marks the start of a critical phase in the delivery of the new trains project. Siemens has a long history in Manchester and we are delighted to be building the depot here on this historical railway site.”

Vernon Barker, managing director of TransPennine Express said: “The new Siemens trains will deliver significant improvements to passengers, including air conditioning, advanced passenger information systems, CCTV and dedicated facilities for disabled travellers.”

Siemens is responsible for all the maintenance, cleaning and re-fuelling of the new trains. The Manchester depot is designed to deliver the optimum train performance and highest standards of cleanliness.

The site, which can accommodate a total of 28 three-car trains, includes a main shed, trainwash, wheel lathe and stabling facilities. The four-road shed can hold eight three-car trains and is equipped with two ‘drop pits’ which can be used to replace underfloor mounted equipment, such as engines quickly and safely.

There is also a state-of-the-art automated train wash which, using 61% re-cycled water, can clean a train in one-and-a-half minutes and features an underbody wash to keep the underside of the trains clean. It can also operate down to temperatures of minus 5 degrees centigrade to ensure that the trains can be kept clean even in the depths of winter.

The depot and fuel road have lubricants piped to appropriate distribution points. This means that the maintenance technician can select the correct oil and fill the train via a trigger and hose – just like filling a car at a petrol station. This is an important step forward and will significantly reduce spillages.

1. Siemens was established in the United Kingdom 162 years ago. The company employs 20,317 people in the UK, including about 5,000 in the manufacturing sector. With annual revenues of £2.6 billion, including exports of almost £400 million, Siemens provides innovative, high-quality services and solutions to customers in a diverse range of industry sectors comprising: power, automation and control, information and communication, medical, transportation, lighting, and household.

Siemens operates through a de-centralised structure, with its headquarters in Bracknell, Berkshire. The company’s structure reflects that of its parent company, Siemens AG, headquartered in Munich, Germany.

2. DESIRO UK is Siemens’ modular designed multiple unit train. Desiro electric multiple units are currently in service on One Great Eastern (Class 360) and South West Trains (Class 450 and Class 444). A dual voltage electric version (Class 350/1) is in production for National Express for operation on the West Coast Main Line as will as a 25kV version (Class 360/2) being built for BAA plc.

3. The Depot construction will be undertaken by Taylor Woodrow Construction Limited.

4. Siemens has built new traincare facilities in Southampton (for SouthWest Trains), Old Oak Common, London (for Heathrow Express) and is currently building a new facility in Northampton (for National Express).

5. First TransPennine Express – run by First Group plc in partnership with Keolis SA – operates inter-city services on three main routes across the North of England:

North TransPennine - including Newcastle to Manchester Airport, Middlesbrough to Manchester Airport, Scarborough to Liverpool and Hull to Manchester Piccadilly.
South TransPennine from Cleethorpes via Doncaster and Sheffield to Manchester Airport
North West – from Windermere and Barrow in Furness via Lancaster, Preston and Bolton to Manchester Airport.
Major towns and cities served by First TransPennine Express include Newcastle, Middlesbrough, Darlington, York, Scarborough, Hull, Leeds, Huddersfield, Cleethorpes, Grimsby, Scunthorpe, Meadowhall, Doncaster, Sheffield, Lancaster, Preston, Bolton, Manchester, Manchester International Airport, Warrington and Liverpool.

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