West Midlands Railway (WMR) in the UK has announced the completion of a £70m ($93.1m) redevelopment of the Tyseley Traction Maintenance Depot in Birmingham.
The completion was marked at an event attended by the Mayor of the West Midlands Richard Parker, alongside representatives from the local community and rail industry.
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The depot, which now maintains and services 94 trains, is central to a £1bn investment by WMR in rolling stock and supporting facilities.
Parker said: “This investment in cutting-edge equipment and a modern depot means the region’s train fleets will be better looked after and kept in tip-top condition.
“This will improve reliability, meaning fewer delays and better journeys for everyone in the West Midlands.”
Funding for the three-year upgrade was provided through a partnership with Angel Trains and the Department for Transport.
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By GlobalDataSpencer Rail Engineering, part of Spencer Group, acted as the principal contractor for construction.
Spencer Group rail managing director Mike Halliday said: “It’s been a pleasure to be involved in this project. From the outset, the focus has been to complete the works on time and within budget, and we’ve done it.
“Credit must go to West Midlands Railway for allowing us to be involved in the early stages of the project’s development to find an affordable, well thought-through solution, and the results speak for themselves.”
Tyseley’s modifications were intended to accommodate the new Class 196 fleet, which began operating in 2022 on routes between Birmingham, Hereford, Shrewsbury, Nuneaton, Coventry and Leamington.
The upgraded site also facilitates maintenance for the operator’s Class 172 trains and CrossCountry’s Class 170 fleet.
Capital works included an extension to the main maintenance shed, increasing capacity from 29 to 38 vehicles.
The site now features updated inspection infrastructure and new train lifting equipment.
Energy supply at the depot has also been augmented through the installation of 302 solar panels on the shed roof, expected to produce around 124,000kWh annually and result in a projected reduction of 58t of carbon emissions each year.
WMR engineering director John Doughty said: “These upgrades come as part of a wider £1bn investment into new fleets and infrastructure across our network.
“The new facilities at Tyseley mean we can efficiently maintain the new and existing train fleets based at the depot, helping to lessen the impact of disruption and improve the reliability of our service.”
Tyseley Depot employs more than 200 staff, including over 130 technicians and a management team of ten.
In February this year, construction began on the £295m ($367.1m) extension of the West Midlands Metro tram network.
