A major milestone in the rollout of one of Britain’s newest train fleets has been reached following an £80million investment into a key railway depot in Bletchley.
London Northwestern Railway (LNR) and Rail Minister, Lord Peter Hendy, officially announced the completion of the redevelopment of Bletchley Traction Maintenance Depot (TMD) alongside local representatives and members of the rail industry at a special event on Friday 12 September.
The train operator carried out the works to enable the site to stable and maintain LNR’s new fleet of class 730/2 electric trains which entered service on routes to and from London Euston over the summer.
The fleet, which is made up of 36 five-carriage trains, brings an overall 20% uplift in capacity to the West Coast Main Line and will carry millions of passengers to and from the capital each year. They feature open gangways, charging points at every seat and intelligent air conditioning.
To run these modern trains, Bletchley Depot’s main shed has been extended with new modernised carriage servicing sidings, improved inspection facilities and new train lifting equipment. The overhead electrified lines have been replaced and a new overhead gantry now offers roof access to the full length of the train.
The improvements will benefit passengers in dozens of locations across the country, with the new fleet serving routes between Crewe and London and Northampton and London.
John Doughty, engineering director at London Northwestern Railway, said: “We are so pleased to celebrate the completion of these important and transformative upgrades.”
“Having cutting edge equipment and more space in our sidings means our trains can be serviced and maintained more quickly, so we can offer a more reliable service for our passengers.”
Lord Peter Hendy, the Minister of State for Rail, said: “I’m delighted to see the transformation that has taken place at Bletchley depot, made possible by significant government support and a great collaborative effort between London Northwestern Railway and its delivery partners.
“The new trains entering service will provide a much better experience for passengers along the route, connecting millions of people to jobs, education, and leisure opportunities. I look forward to seeing their smooth introduction being completed and enjoying a journey myself in the coming months.”
Bletchley TMD also maintains and stables the Class 150 fleet which runs on the Marston Vale line from Bletchley to Bedford, as well as the trains which will serve the East West Rail route from Oxford to Milton Keynes.
The upgrades were primarily funded by rolling stock company, Porterbrook, with additional support from the Department for Transport, and were carried out by Taylor Woodrow.
They come as part of a major £1billion investment into new trains and infrastructure by LNR and its sister company West Midlands Railway. Separate upgrade work is underway at the company’s depot in Tyseley in Birmingham.
Stefan Rose, chief investment officer at Porterbrook, said: “Working in partnership with London Northwestern Railway and the Department for Transport, these impressive upgrades highlight the important role that private finance can play in maintaining and enhancing rail infrastructure to deliver a better service for passengers.”
Image credits: West Midlands Railways
