UK-based train operating company Northern Rail has completed upgrades to its TrainCare Centre in Hull.
To help keep more trains on the tracks across Yorkshire, the revamped Hull Botanic Gardens facility will enhance the maintenance and servicing capacity of the centre.
The Hull depot will serve as home to Northern Rail’s Class 170 trains and also house the team to conduct their routine servicing, maintenance, upkeep and repair.
The facility consists of modern equipment, including a crane, train roof access platforms, jacks and an additional fuelling road.
The train shed at the depot also features a new roof. Northern and Network Rail have closely coordinated on the project.
This depot has four maintenance teams to deliver the Class 170 maintenance plan and overnight servicing, including work for Hull Trains and TransPennine Express.
It also includes a new driving team for the delivery of new operational working practices to “ensure that diagrammed maintenance work is delivered back to the Northern team at Hull on time.”
Furthermore, the new teams were trained on the new infrastructure and are now conducting their second Class 170 B exam from which Northern will begin to process-map maintenance flow.
It will also roll out new Asset Management and Reliability Centre Maintenance systems next year, helping create a Centre of Excellence Control Room for the Class 170 fleet.
Northern Rail engineering director Jack Commandeur 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.”
