A £10m new rail maintenance depot has been unveiled to keep passenger and freight trains moving smoothly through Greater Manchester.
The high-tech facility at Guide Bridge is the new home for over 120 Network Rail staff who work night and day to make the railway safe and reliable.
In just over a year, the two-storey building has been built on a 2.3-acre former railway siding.
It brings four separate track maintenance teams under one roof for the first time, having previously been based in separate temporary cabins with outdated facilities on the same site
It’s hoped that bringing the staff together will mean better collaboration and faster response times to fix railway faults – leading to fewer delays for passengers.
The building came in £6m under budget thanks to a range of efficiency measures including innovative construction sequencing, material specifications and challenging standard railway approaches.
Clare Waller, Network Rail’s interim North West route director, said: “It’s fantastic to see this new depot at Guide Bridge now in use and provide modern facilities for the teams based there so they can respond to incidents and maintain the railway for passengers and freight in Greater Manchester.
“The teams have worked across multiple temporary buildings and not the best of environments for many years, so I’m sure this new striking building with top-notch accommodation will make a massive difference to them and the work they are able to achieve.”
