Patrick McLoughlin opens Test and Commissioning facility for Crossrail trains

Patrick McLoughlin MP opens Balfour Beatty’s Test and Commissioning Facility for Bombardier Transport’s Crossrail trains.

A £12M project to deliver a new four-track test and commissioning facility on behalf of Bombardier Transportation’s Crossrail trains, has been completed by Balfour Beatty and officially opened on Friday (13 May).

The Secretary of State for Transport, Patrick McLoughlin MP, opened the £12M design and build project, which involved the construction of a 250 meter long V Shop Industrial Building, housing four multi-functional train lines, to initially test and commission the 66 nine-car Aventra Class 345 EMUs that Bombardier is supplying for the Crossrail project in London.

Each line has a full length 25 kV 50 Hz overhead line and inspection pit, containing a full range of services that is fully accessible by rail at both ends and connects into the existing test track facilities.

The project also created office space in the form of a two-storey annex, along with associated power upgrade works to the site to facilitate the overhead electricity lines.

Speaking at the launch event, Mr McLoughlin said, “I am delighted to open this new testing and commissioning facility in Derby, which will ensure passengers benefit from cutting edge trains with improved capacity and comfort. The government is making a record investment in our railways and it is fantastic to see firms such as Bombardier, who are delivering a £1 billion contract for Crossrail as well as London Overground, make the most of the opportunities this brings. This new facility will help secure jobs in Derby, at the heart of the UK rail industry, and help to drive the Midlands engine for growth.”

Richard Hunter, Managing Director, Bombardier Transportation UK said, “This new £12 million facility is one of the biggest investments in the history of our Derby site and ‘V’ Shop (as the finished test facility will be known) will be a fundamental part of both our current projects and future train builds, enhancing our ability to deliver all the stages of a new train product from a single UK site. It increases our capacity to deliver high volume orders within short timescales, ensuring we meet the future requirements of the UK market”.

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