£5.75 million rail maintenance hub to be officially opened in Peterborough

The new £5.75 million GBRailfreight maintenance hub at Peterborough

A multi-million pound rail maintenance hub will be officially opened in Peterborough today (September 26).

The £5.75 million state-of-the-art hub, which sits next to the East Coast Mainline, will be used by GB Railfreight, which is one of the country’s largest transporters of consumer and business goods, and will create 20 jobs.

It will be declared open by the Secretary of State for Transport Mark Harper at a ceremony that will be attended by John Smith, the chief executive of GB Railfreight.

From left, chief executive of GBRailfreight John Smith, Peterborough City Council leader Councillor Wayne Fitzgerald, and Ian Bald at the ground breaking last November to start construction of the rail maintenance hub.

The hub, which is larger than six-Olympic swimming pools, was built in 10 months and brings back into use a derelict plot of land.

GB Railfreight says the building has strong sustainability credentials and is fully powered by electricity and has been designed to support electric shunt engines and forklifts to reduce carbon emissions.

They say it will deliver significant safety and reliability improvements that will allow current and future customers to move a wider range of goods by rail and as new smart-technologies emerge, the hub will be a testbed allowing engineers to identify innovative solutions to ensure continual improvement.

Mr Smith said: “This announcement demonstrates our commitment to continued investment and innovation in the rail network.

"The role of the private sector cannot be understated as a tool to help Britain drive jobs and growth in its regional economies and achieve its net zero targets.

"We are excited for the role we get to play in this important journey as we meet the demands of customers looking to decarbonise their supply chains.”

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Mr Harper said: “This impressive new maintenance hub demonstrates the important role private sector investment plays in modernising the rail freight industry and helping grow the economy.

"Rail is one of the most environmentally friendly ways of moving goods across the country – this new facility will help deliver clean, safe and secure freight journeys while creating jobs in Peterborough and boosting the city’s economy.”

The opening comes about two years after GB Railfreight opened a £3 million training and control centre in Maskew Avenue, Peterborough.