Siemens Mobility has obtained planning permission from the Wiltshire County Council to build a £100m ($126m) “state-of-the-art rail technology facility” in Chippenham, UK. It will replace the current Siemens Mobility Chippenham factory.
The new site will focus on the development of next-generation rail signalling and control systems, and will take over manufacturing from the old plant as well as moving research and development forward.
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The planned facility, which is expected to open its doors in 2026, is not connected to the other UK Siemens Mobility site under construction in Goole.
Siemens Mobility UK and Ireland CEO and rail infrastructure managing director Rob Morris said: “I’m really pleased that construction will soon begin on our world- leading digital engineering, and research and development facility.”
The new facility is BREEAM-certified, with office, production, and warehouse areas that are planned to meet sustainability criteria.
British contractor Bowmer + Kirland will lead the site construction, set to begin early next year, leveraging their expertise in industrial and commercial building projects.
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By GlobalDataBowmer + Kirkland regional director Nick McQuaid said: “Our vast experience in the delivery of high-quality buildings and our expertise in sustainable construction methods, community engagement and engagement with local SMEs wherever we build will ensure that this project provides a valuable legacy both locally and to the surrounding area.”
The Chippenham factory contributed to the digital signalling on the Elizabeth and Victoria lines.
Chippenham’s development of computer-based interlockings in the 1980s laid the groundwork for the technology used in the East Coast Digital Programme, which aims to digitise the East Coast Main Line.
The factory’s modular technology has also been pivotal in enhancing connections for communities in North Wales and is now being applied to projects in Northumberland and between Devon and Cornwall.
