Major £70 million Birmingham railway depot works completed
A major £70 million redevelopment of a Birmingham railway depot aimed at improving reliability of services has been completed.
West Midlands Railway (WMR) and the region’s Mayor Richard Parker hailed the new facilities following works at the Tyseley Traction Maintenance Depot.
Work on the site, which maintains and services 94 trains, were carried out as part of a £1 billion investment into new rolling stock and depot upgrades.
Tyseley was specifically modified to support its new Class 196 fleet in addition to more efficiently supporting the WMR Class 172 fleet and CrossCountry’s Class 170 trains.
The Class 196 fleet entered service in 2022 and runs on the lines from Birmingham to Hereford and Shrewsbury, and between Nuneaton, Coventry and Leamington.
To accommodate the 96-metre-long Class 196s, Tyseley Depot’s main shed has been extended, increasing indoor capacity from 29 to 38 vehicles, with improved inspection facilities and new train lifting equipment.
A solar farm of 302 panels has been installed on the shed roof, estimated to generate 124,000 kWh and save 58 tonnes of carbon per year.
John Doughty, WMR engineering director, said: “These upgrades come as part of a wider £1 billion 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.
“I’m delighted to see this project come to fruition and look forward to seeing the positive impact it will have on our customers’ journeys with us.”
More than 200 people work at Tyseley including 130 technicians, 10 management and 16 apprentices on site.
Mr 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.
“This vast site employs hundreds of people in high-quality engineering jobs and I am especially pleased to see the apprenticeship programme still growing with 49 new starters in the last year.”
The three-year upgrade project was funded in partnership with Angel Trains and the Department for Transport. Building work was carried out by Spencer Rail Engineering, part of Spencer Group.
Mike Halliday, managing director for rail at Spencer Group, 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.”
