UK: VolkerFitzpatrick has completed a £70m project to rebuild Gosforth depot where Stadler will maintain the 46 light metro trainsets it is supplying to renew the Tyne & Wear Metro fleet.
The depot has been rebuilt ‘to a very high standard, with quality and precision at its heart, and its technologically sophisticated features will mean that trains can be maintained efficiently and speedily’, said Paul Patrick, Managing Director of Stadler Rail Service UK, on January 24.
It was designed by designed by Ryder Architecture. Subcontractors included NG Bailey, PLS Engineering, A&M Electricals and 1stinrail, which renewed the track.
There are 17 stabling sidings, along with inspection roads and pits, a wheel lathe building and a wash-plant. There are monorail cranes on the light maintenance roads and an overhead crane on the heavy maintenance roads for lifting roof components.
Zonegreen has supplied a Depot Personnel Protection System.
Mechan has supplied a set of 21 multi-purpose 15-tonne lifting jacks and a bespoke remote-control scissor lifting system in an undertrack pit to enable the removal of under-vehicle modules without needing to lift a train.
There are storage areas for spare parts and materials, and office space for training and support functions.
Train movements are controlled using a Stadler signalling system from a room offering a bird’s eye view of the depot.
Energy efficiency features include insulation, roof-mounted solar panels and use of natural light.
Water is recycled for train washing. There are charging bays for electric cars, a secure area for bikes and showers for people cycling to work.
Material from the previous 1923 building on the site was crushed in situ and reused for tracks and foundations, reducing lorry movements, and SitePodium created a community engagement app to keep neighbours updated about the works.
‘The new depot will revolutionise Metro train maintenance’, said Cathy Massarella, Managing Director of operator Nexus. ‘It is transformative for the teams who work there, and provides a state of the art home for the new Metro train fleet. It brings fleet maintenance into the 21st century, ensuing that we have the very best facilities for many years to come.’
