13.03.20
£3m investment in new GB Railfreight Peterborough offices
GB Railfreight have announced plans for a new £3 million new operational and training facility in Peterborough.
Originating in 1999 and headquartered in London, GB Railfreight is the third largest rail freight operator in the UK, with a turnover in excess of £200m. The operator is also one of the fastest growing companies in the railway sector and transports goods for a variety of customers.
To meet the growing demand for rail freight, GBRf are intensifying operations by investing in new offices and training facilities. Currently their fleet management and control centre is located in Peterborough, with a resource centre in Doncaster and additional offices across the UK. Nationwide GBRf have a workforce of 900 employees.
Lindum have been chosen to undertake the construction of the three-storey office building on Maskew Avenue, on the edge of the city centre.
The work will include the demolition of existing temporary office buildings and construction of a new building to house a control room, three classrooms, a board room and staff welfare facilities.
GBRf was granted planning permission for the development in December 2019, with Peterborough based construction company Lindum involved in the project since the early stages. The scheme is set to be completed by November 2020.
Managing Director of GB Railfreight, John Smith, said: “The plans for our new Peterborough office have been a long time in the making and following planning permission being granted at the end of last year, we are eager to get shovels in the ground so that we can provide the best possible facilities for our colleagues. Our decision to award Lindum with the construction contract was an easy one to make. Their reputation and track record set them apart.”
Steve Angus, Lindum Commercial Manager, said: “It is great to see a market-leading company like GBRf reaffirming its commitment to Peterborough in this way and we are delighted to be involved in the project.”
“This particular site is brown field land and was previously owned by Network Rail. It is positive to see it being regenerated in this way. The land is close to the city centre and, with the planned access road, car parking spaces and forty bike spaces, it will prove to be a much-improved home for GBRf.”
Head of Major Projects, Dean Duthie, said: “This is a fantastic investment for us, bringing together a variety of teams under one roof.
“The training school will support our state-of-the-art class 66 simulators, whilst our control tower overlooks East Coast mainline bringing us closer to frontline operations. It is a privilege to have the opportunity to lead on such scheme”
Image: GB Railfreight