The Northern TrainCare Centre in Hull has received major upgrades set the improve the reliability of services for passengers, with the Hull Botanic Gardens facility set to increase the Centre's maintenance and servicing ability.
Northern’s Class 170 trains will call the depot home, along with four engineering teams responsible for their routine servicing, maintenance, upkeep, and repair. These maintenance works are set to be undertaken at night to ensue that daily passenger services are not disrupted.
The upgrade works have seen the installation of modernised equipment such as a crane, train roof access platforms and jacks as well as an additional fuelling road. Adding to these improvements, the train shed at the depot has been revitalised with a new roof, futureproofing the infrastructure moving forward.
The staffing for this depot has been led by Arron Ibbotson, the TrainCare Centre manager, who has performed a recruitment process in which a team of 30 has been collated from staff that have re-located from existing positions and external recruits. The working environment for the team will be continuously improved upon, to aid in ensuring the effectiveness of the teams.
The recruitment process has seen a new driving team that are being trained to deliver the new operational working practices, ensuring that diagrammed maintenance work is delivered back to the Northern team at Hull on time.
The new workforce teams have been trained to work with the new infrastructure, whilst delivering their second Class 170 B exam from which Northern will start to process-map maintenance flows. Throughout 2023 new Asset Management and Reliability Centre Maintenance systems will be introduced, creating a Centre of Excellence Control Room for the Class 170 fleet.
Jack Commandeur, engineering director at Northern said:
“We want to make sure we can get as many trains as possible in service for customers and to do that we need modern engineering facilities and expert technicians, engineers and operators.
“I am confident our improved maintenance centres will deliver more trains into service on a daily basis and help improve services for our customers.”
On Sunday, 11 December Northern’s new timetable comes into effect and all customers, especially those who have made regular journeys on the same train times, are recommended to check online journey planners before they travel to ensure their service operates at the same time and calls at the same stations.
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