Plans to create a £100m train depot in Yorkshire to make train journeys more reliable across the North. have been unveiled.
Rail Minister Huw Merriman confirmed the proposals, which form part of the government’s £3.9bn investment into the Transpennine route upgrade (TRU), which will see a new maintenance facility constructed in Shipley.
Around £100m will be provided to deliver what will be known as the Shipley TrainCare Centre.
Construction is expected to begin later this year and the new site will be home to Northern’s electric fleet of trains operating across West Yorkshire.
The government said that as many as 100 jobs will be supported at the site, as well as apprenticeships.
Rail Minister Huw Merriman said: “It’s great to be returning to West Yorkshire with another significant announcement to boost rail travel for passengers across the North, demonstrating this government’s plan to investing in infrastructure and support the region’s huge potential for growth.
“Today marks my fourth visit to Bradford and its surrounding areas in the past 5 months, with this investment creating new jobs and more reliable services as we accelerate our multi-billion-pound Transpennine route upgrade to transform rail journeys for generations to come.”
Northern is owned by the Department for Transport through DfT OLR Holdings after previous operator Arriva Rail North had its franchise terminated at the end of February 2020. A revised contract was agreed in February 2022 for it to operate until March 2025.
Rob Warnes, strategic development director for Northern, added: “We’re delighted to announce this investment in our brand new TrainCare Centre for Shipley.
“As the future home for most of our electric train fleets for West Yorkshire, the new site will bring a wealth of highly-skilled jobs into the region, as well as providing resilience for our network across the North.
“It will play a key part in helping us to deliver our plans for the Transpennine route upgrade and beyond.”
Northern would have fallen to a loss of almost £600m if it had not received government support during its latest financial year.
The company would have made a pre-tax loss of £588m without the Service Agreement subsidy of £597.6m in the 12 months to March 31, 2023. In the prior year, Northern received a subsidy of £632.6m from the government.
Neil Holm, managing director of TRU, added: “We’re delighted to reveal our plans for this major investment in Shipley, demonstrating the Transpennine route upgrade’s commitment to supporting local communities and creating local jobs.
“This brand new depot will support rail services while we carry out essential improvements and will also leave long-lasting legacy benefits for the town going forward.”