A new £33 million rail engineering depot has opened in Cadder, Glasgow as part of a ‘fit for the future’ investment in Scotland’s railway.
Network Rail led the build of the facility alongside contractors Babcock, Arcadis and Complete Paving Requirements Scotland (CPR). The investment was made by Transport Scotland, with ScotRail set to manage the facility – with its size meaning that it can be expanded in the future.
It includes three new service platforms and a new modular building to accommodate staff, as well as a facility for train presentation staff, equipment for refuelling, toilet servicing and a train wash which will allow for night-time cleaning and servicing of the high speed trains that travel from Glasgow and Edinburgh to Aberdeen and Inverness.
A new office facility inside the yard will also accommodate Rail Systems Alliance Scotland staff, which is a partnership between Network Rail, Babcock and Arcadis, with the two-storey building to operate day and night.
ScotRail said the facility will bring a number of benefits including a reduction in the number of ‘unproductive’ early morning and late night high-speed train miles; shifting the ‘burden’ of stabilising high-speed trains away from Perth, Haymarket and Eastfield depots; and reducing emissions and noise for residents who live close to its other yards.
The build saw railway engineers and contractors run 7.5km of cable, as well as the the pouring of 3,000 tonnes of concrete. Three kilometres of new track was also laid, including 3,300 sleepers, and a 1km long, three metres-high steel security fence has been erected.
The Covid-19 pandemic presented challenges during the construction phase, with innovative ways being required to adapt. One of which was the use of simulation and digitalisation in the signalling design phase, which meant fewer site visits by the design team which aided the safety of workers through fewer people being on site.
Kirsty Devlin, ScotRail head of projects & PMO, said, “I am delighted that Cadder depot has opened. It means that we can accommodate more high speed trains in the central belt where most of them start and finish their journeys. And pressure will be taken off existing depots in Perth, Haymarket and Eastfield.
“This is another example of the massive investment we are making to transform Scotland’s railway into a network that is fit for the future and that our customers deserve.”
