West Midlands Railway (WMR) has announced it is celebrating the completion of a major £5 million upgrade at a key depot in Coventry.
The works at Coventry North Yard, near the city’s railway station, mean WMR’s Class 730 new electric fleet can be maintained and stabled more effectively.
The fleet entered service in the West Midlands last year and has already carried millions of passengers.
Depot managers at WMR showcased the upgrades to representatives from local authorities and the wider rail industry at an event on the site today (Friday 24 January).
The upgrades are part of a major £1billion investment in new trains and infrastructure by WMR and its sister company London Northwestern Railway.
Separate upgrade work is under way at Soho depot in Smethwick – the primary base for the Class 730s – and Tyseley depot in Birmingham, where diesel trains are maintained.
The improvements will benefit passengers across dozens of locations in the West Midlands served by Class 730s, including the Cross City Line in Birmingham, between Rugeley and Birmingham International, and between Wolverhampton and Walsall.
The renovations include new toilet waste extraction technology, enhanced walkways, smart lighting, new CCTV and improved staff rooms.
Since the upgrades were completed, WMR has been able to recruit four full-time employees, bringing new jobs to the local area while protecting the roles of existing workers already stationed there.
The upgrades and new recruits allow for six Class 730 trains to be cleaned simultaneously, maximising turnaround time for maintenance to ensure facilities are clean and operational on board.
John Doughty, engineering director at West Midlands Railway, said: “Investing into our depots is a major priority for us so we can improve the quality of service for our passengers across the region.
“West Midlands Railway is a major employer in the West Midlands and we were delighted to be able to recruit further and improve our efficiency and capacity at Coventry North Yard.”
Councillor Pervez Akhtar, from Coventry City Council, said: “We are very impressed with the work carried out at Coventry North Yard to improve the site and are pleased to see that new jobs have been created as a result.