Rail infrastructure specialist Spencer Group has completed a critical three-year project to extend and improve facilities at a busy rail depot in Birmingham.
Spencer Group’s experienced team has completed the project and entry into service at Tyseley Depot to significantly increase capacity for the next generation of trains.
Exceptional collaboration between Spencer Group, client West Midlands Railway and key stakeholder Network Rail has resulted in the project not only being completed ahead of time, but also under budget.
The project has included three phases, known as Work Packages 3, 4 and 5, which have been completed over a three-year period.
The latest package to reach completion was Work Package 5, which included a 100m extension to the existing depot building, providing six car stabling of trains on two roads, numbers 11 and 12.
As the most extensive of the three packages, Work package 5 also included the formation of new under carriage maintenance pits on both roads 11 and 12, as well as the supply and installation of numerous train jacks, an overhead gantry crane and two mobile gantries, to offer a wider capability of services for current and future maintenance requirements.
Work packages 3 and 4 were completed earlier in the scheme and included the removal of a significant section of existing track in preparation for a 30m extension to the existing Underframe Cleaning (UFC) building, as well as mechanical and electrical works to the existing depot buildings, including ventilation, shore supplies and testing, commissioning and snagging works.
The extension works are a critical part of West Midlands Railway’s future operations, as the former depot was too small to house the train operator’s newest fleet of trains, which are four carriages long.
With the depot now having the capacity to house six carriages, the project has also future-proofed the facility, ensuring it has the space needed to undertake all of the maintenance and overhaul requirements of the train fleets based at Tyseley Depot, throughout their lifecycle.
The upgraded depot is also enabling West Midlands Railway to reduce its carbon footprint in multiple ways. The new shore supplies will mean trains’ critical systems can be powered for testing and commissioning without the need to leave their engines running. Additionally, the depot features a large solar photovoltaic panel array capable of generating 124,000 Kw/h per year.
Ryan Jones, Project Director at Spencer Group, said: “We’re delighted to have handed over the depot on time and to the exceptionally high standard Spencer Group is known for delivering.
“From the beginning of the project we set out to create an environment of collaborative working between all the stakeholders, and the partnership working with the depot interface manager allowed our site team to carry out the works while maintaining normal depot operations.
“A key contributor to the success of the project was the period of Early Contractor Involvement at the start of the project, which enabled our team to develop a detailed understanding of the project and the depot, and ensure the project was fully developed and costed.
“We also foster an open and inclusive environment amongst the team, so site team members feel empowered to make decisions and seek advice when needed, enabling us to overcome any challenges and action solutions quickly and effectively.”
John Doughty, Engineering Director for West Midlands Railway, added: “The expansion of our depot in Tyseley is part of our £1 billion investment into infrastructure and rolling stock. These works were vital to accommodate our new four-car Class 196 fleet, which serve lines between Birmingham, Worcester, Hereford and Shrewsbury, as well as between Leamington and Nuneaton.
“We were pleased to work with Spencer Group to complete the improvements, so we can continue to maintain our diesel fleets efficiently and effectively for many years to come.”
