The UK-based rail components manufacturer William Cook Rail has opened its new bogie overhaul workshop at its Leeds facility.
William Cook Rail designs and manufactures complex cast-steel components used by rolling stock manufacturers such as Alstom, Bombardier and Siemens.
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However, the company’s revenues from the UK are largely from in-service train support, rather than new component supply. The London Underground is the company’s largest customer in the UK.
The new 8,000ft² workshop is an extension of the current coupler workshop. It provides various heavy overhaul services for owners and operators of rolling stock.
The facility offers services, including cleaning, shot blasting, non-destructive testing and repair welding.
It also provides component replacement, painting and rebuild work for bogies.
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By GlobalDataMachining centres at the facility can accommodate entire bogie frames after repair.
This investment has generated jobs, including a new workshop manager with experience in bogie overhaul.
William Cook Rail director William Cook said: “The new bogie overhaul workshop is only one part of an ongoing, multi-million pound investment plan for our Leeds site.
“It will enable the continued expansion of our UK heavy overhaul services and position us well to benefit from new government spending on rail in the north of England.”
In 2019, William Cook Rail received the ‘gold-standard’ IRIS and RISAS approvals. It and also received the SME Supplier of the Year award from Transport for London.
In October, Alstom Ubunye, a joint venture of Alstom, inaugurated a modernised rail factory in Ekurhuleni near Johannesburg in South Africa.
