GA commits to delivering new £70m depot in time for new trains

There is no Plan B regarding the delivery and commissioning of new trains for Greater Anglia, Managing Director Jamie Burles revealed on February 10.

Speaking at the site of a new £70 million depot at Brantham (near Manningtree), Burles said that the facility must be ready by December next year, by which time the first trains built by Stadler will have arrived in the UK.

GA has 1,043 vehicles on order, including 378 vehicles from Stadler that will receive maintenance at the site. Burles said that plans had changed, with the new trains being commissioned at the site. At least 30 jobs will be created.

The site will have 15 roads, two of which will be covered. There will be pit access and a wheel lathe. Access will be from the south end of the site onto the Down Main, just before the estuary.

GA said that design work and construction planning for the new depot starts this month (February). The site is due to be cleared in March and building should begin in the summer.

“These are exciting plans which are integral to our commitment to improve and transform the railway in East Anglia,” said Burles.

“Providing a depot at Manningtree will enable us to bring in our ambitious new timetable with more frequent trains and reduced journey times. It also reduces the amount of time that trains are out of service for maintenance.”

Fred Garner, Rail Sector Director from Taylor Woodrow, the contractor appointed to design and build the depot said: “We are excited and honoured to be entrusted with this important project, which will benefit from the skills and expertise that Taylor Woodrow has gained building a similar facility for Crossrail.”

For more on this story, see RAIL 821, published on March 1.