Siemens Mobility has opened a £6 million facility at its Kings Heath Depot in Northampton to handle train modifications and upgrades across the UK’s passenger rail fleet. The Multi-Functional Centre will support refurbishment projects such as interior improvements to seating, toilets, luggage areas, and charging points.
The new site will initially service East Midlands Railway’s Class 360 trains as part of a comfort and performance upgrade. It also enables a mobile engineering team to operate nationwide, recently completing a braking performance enhancement using Siemens’ Variable Rate Sanding technology and preparing for further upgrades to train data recorders to boost connectivity and reliability.
Lucy Rigby KC MP, Member of Parliament for Northampton North, said:
“It was a privilege to officially open Siemens Mobility’s state-of-the-art Multi-Functional Centre and meet the highly skilled team working to enhance passenger journeys. It’s fantastic to see how Siemens Mobility’s local investment is fostering economic growth, creating new jobs, and developing skills right here in Northampton.”
The project will generate over 30 new local jobs and has achieved a 17% net biodiversity gain through on-site initiatives, including a wildflower garden and tree planting. The development forms part of Siemens Mobility’s wider UK investment programme, which totals around £340 million. This includes £240 million for its Goole Rail Village in Yorkshire, where new Piccadilly line trains are being built, and £100 million for a Rail Technology Centre in Chippenham.
Siemens has also strengthened its logistics network with new distribution centres in Kettering and Goole to cut road miles and lower its carbon footprint.
