UK: Work has begun to prepare East Midlands Railway’s Etches Park depot in Derby for the arrival of the operator’s electro-diesel Aurora trains.
The £35m project, which rolling stock leasing company Rock Rail is part funding through a £30m contribution, will be delivered in two phases.
Rock Rail told Rail Business UK that the first phase, for which EMR has signed a contract with Buckingham Group Contracting, will involve reconfiguring the track layout at the site to improve operational flexibility and allow for more train movements across the depot.
The current North Shed is to be extended to provide an additional heavy maintenance road, and a short section of overhead electrification is to be installed so the Aurora trains can be tested in electric mode over short distances. Fuelling and servicing equipment is being modernised, including extending the fuel road to accommodate two five-car trains simultaneously. The fuelling point will also be able to dispense the AdBlue synthetic urea additive used in the Class 810 trainsets’ Euro Stage V-compliant diesel engines.
According to Rock Rail, the second phase, which is currently at the procurement stage, will involve building a new carriage washing facility, installing an automated vehicle monitoring system to inspect train bogies and brakes, extending the underframe cleaning area, and renewing offices and staff facilities at the depot’s South Shed.
The Aurora fleet is due to enter service with EMR in 2023; the first trains are currently being manufactured at Hitachi Rail’s Newton Aycliffe factory.
