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WORKSHIP EQUIPMENT & RAIL DEPOTS


In an age where the consistency of branding and corporate identity is key, Network Rail has begun using a comprehensive online resource to ensure compliance across the organisation, reports Richard Mackillican


T


he depot at Etches Park in Derby is a colossus of both civil and railway engineering, providing a large, bright and well laid-out workspace for the team of 140 Bombardier engineers who have taken care of the East Midlands Trains fleet there since mid-2010.


The construction of the depot meant operations could move out of a small facility which had been on the site for many years.


“When the franchise bid was being put together in the early part of 2007 it was realised the key to making the Meridian fleet work well was to build a new depot,” says Tim Sayer, engineering director at East Midlands Trains.


“Then a couple of options were looked at - one in Sheffield and one in Derby on the existing Etches Park site. In the end the decision was made to go with Derby and as soon as the franchise began in November 2007, the work started.


“The design was evaluated, shared with Network Rail, then contractors were appointed and a project plan put together. This meant that in the early part of 2008 construction work started and thereafter it was a 17-18 month project to build it and that is what happened. It was a very successful project, delivered by Stagecoach Projects, considering it was done pretty much on budget and almost exactly to time.”


The depot was opened in May 2010 with significant fanfare and many media outlets - including Rail Technology Magazine - attended the opening ceremony. It was obvious East Midlands Trains had wanted to put on a show to mark the opening of the new facility as they had two


mighty Meridian trains raised in the air using the depot’s monolithic new jacks.


The opening saw speeches from many high-profile representatives from the various organisations involved in the creation of the depot, with the chief executive of Stagecoach (the company which operates the East Midlands Trains franchise), Brian Souter, saying the investment made in the Etches Park maintenance facility would give passengers better trains, improved services and dramatic improvements to punctuality.


East Midlands Trains’ managing director, Tim Shoveller, said the facility’s opening marked a significant milestone for train maintenance, “not only in Derby but in the United Kingdom as a whole”.


The new facility boasts a number of new features, including three roads for maintaining the trains and, for the first time ever, one of the roads has synchronised jacks capable of lifting a full seven-car Meridian train. The facility also includes a new million pound wheel lathe, used to keep train wheels correctly profiled which, in turn, reduces the amount of noise and wear on rails and improves passenger comfort.


Additionally, the depot benefits from enhanced fuelling facilities which allow staff to service trains more efficiently. The depot also has the benefit of a building management system which constantly monitors the use of gas and electricity. This will help to reduce energy consumption within the depot, ensuring greener and smarter working.


The new facility has been well received by the Bombardier engineers.


Mr Sayer said: “Before this facility opened they had been working in the old part of Etches Park, which was never really satisfactory for a number of reasons, such as them having to split trains to get them inside the shed, the limited number of jacks and the fact that everything was built for a different type of train rather than specifically for the Meridian.


“This meant they had been working in rather suboptimal conditions, so having the chance to watch this great facility being built before their very eyes was great. The good thing from our point of view was we were able to influence the design, which included listening to what the Bombardier people needed to make the new depot work more effectively.


“With a couple of exceptions, that was all taken into account and the place has delivered - without wanting to sound too melodramatic - a world- class facility which has been specifically designed for the Meridian train. This means everything about it, in terms of the lighting, the track infrastructure and the dispensing of lubricants and oils was geared up towards the train itself.”


While any project of this size was bound to have a few issues, any problems were quickly dealt with due in no small part to the close relationship which East Midlands had with their contractors.


“In the period when the building was first being occupied and used, we were able to draw on the warranty and the post- build regime to get any issues rectified.”


The facility has also been built in a way which allows for future expansion.


“If we ever have to maintain, for example, longer or electrified trains or simply just need more capacity, then the foundations and the footprint of the building have taken future needs into account. The facility definitely has ‘stretch potential’ for many decades to come.”


The layout of the depot is also crucial in ensuring efficiency in maintenance because everything the Bombardier engineers need is now where it needs to be.


“Because all of the facilities - such as the wheel lathe, fuelling and under-frame cleaning - are concentrated in the one place, the amount of downtime for exams and routine repairs is much less. Obviously that has a return to us in terms of greater availability and greater consistency in terms of getting the exams done at the time when they are supposed to be done.


“Additionally, from an operational perspective, Etches Park is a combined site between the north and the south with more capacity for stabling and less complex moves around the depot which helps to reduce the risk of collisions. It also means that as rolling stock comes off the main line it can actually be worked on more quickly with more efficient use of resources from both ends of the site.


“Straightaway these two improvements have made a great difference and the reliability and availability of the trains has increased noticeably. In fact, the Meridian train is now the best in class and is turning out 50,000 miles ‘between casualty’ and has overtaken the Voyager fleet in terms of its reliability.


“All of these things are good for East Midlands Trains and good for Bombardier.”


rail technology magazine Dec/Jan 11 | 69


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