History Helps EMRs £35m Rail Project

An East Midlands Railway project designed by HBPW more than a decade ago, is now the subject of a £35m improvement scheme which is moving forward rapidly thanks to the benefit of engineering history.

Fourteen years ago HBPW and Spencer Group joined forces to design and construct the Etches Park rail depot in Derby, featuring the North Shed, a 400m2 storage/workshop area with office and staff welfare facilities, and upgrade and new fuelling roads to provide routine servicing for rolling stock.

So, when East Midlands Railway recently decided to upgrade the facility as part of a £35m scheme, tendering contractor Buckingham Group turned to HBPW for help and, as Partner Emyr Parry explains, it was a smart move: Buckingham’s were successful in the tender which has undoubtedly shaved time and cost off the scheme.

“Prior knowledge always comes into its own”, said Emyr “and, by calling up our 2009 drawings, I was able to see how we had designed the original 26m x 180m portal frame shed – complete with a 10 tonne overhead travelling crane – enabling me to make rapid decisions based on known facts but without the need for extensive checks or surveys.” This latest depot upgrade, being constructed by Buckingham Group Contracting, will now see that original shed extended to its side, with a 150m x 14m additional structure, in preparation for the arrival of the operator’s new bi-mode Class 810 Aurora fleet from Hitachi, due to enter service on inter-city routes to St Pancras International later this year.

Buckingham’s will deliver the first phase of the depot upgrade, at a cost of £15m, reconfiguring the track layout at the site, whilst extending the North Shed and installing overhead line equipment and test track – as well as another 10 tonne overhead travelling crane – so that the new fleet can be easily tested.

Fuelling and servicing equipment is also being upgraded and the depot’s four fuel roads extended to accommodate up to two five-car servicing units, together with two 250m long canopy structures, to provide weather protection to the workforce. Further development works will be carried out as part of phase two.

“Because we worked on the original shed it was a fairly simple exercise to determine that there was enough integrity in the original structure which would allow Buckingham’s to attach the new building to the 2009 facility,” added Emyr.

“What at first reading may appear simple is only straightforward because of our history and past experience. It is rare that we return to something nearly a decade and a half later, however, it means that our prior knowledge has been to the immense benefit of East Midlands Train,” said Emyr. “A classic win win outcome for all parties”.

Client: East Midlands Railway
Contractor: Buckingham Group Contracting