Scotland’s Railway welcomes Transport Minister to new £33m servicing depot

Scotland’s Transport Minister Jenny Gilruth MSP and Amy Callaghan have visited a new purpose-built engineering depot at Cadder. 

Located between Bishopbriggs and Lenzie on the Edinburgh & Glasgow main line, the £33 million Cadder Depot came into use in December 2021 to help improve services for passengers. 

The development was managed by Network Rail, funded by the Scottish Government and is now operated by ScotRail on behalf of the rail network. 

During her visit, Ms Gilruth unveiled a commemorative plaque to mark the official opening of the depot and guests had the opportunity to see some of the operations of the yard. 

These include: 

• three new service platforms
• train cleaning facilities
• refuelling unit
• night-time accommodation for up to six High-Speed Trains (HST’s)
• a new modular building with capacity to accommodate up to 250 support staff

The new facility will support nighttime cleaning, servicing and maintenance of the HST fleet that operates from Glasgow and Edinburgh to Aberdeen and Inverness. 

Cadder was quickly identified as the ideal location to accommodate HSTs due to its accessibility to Glasgow Queen Street and Edinburgh Waverley stations, where more than 80 per cent of ScotRail’s Inter7City services start or finish. 

A new office facility inside the yard will accommodate staff from Rail Systems Alliance Scotland – a partnership between Network Rail, Babcock and Arcadis.  

The two-story building will operate day and night and it will also provide accommodation for ScotRail HST Depot staff.  

Jenny Gilruth MSP, Minister for Transport, said: “I was delighted to see first-hand ScotRail’s new engineering depot at Cadder and to hear about the benefits it will create for Scotland’s Railway going forward. 

“This Scottish Government funded facility will help support some of the existing fleet and also the introduction of new rolling stock, as part of our Decarbonisation Action Plan.

“It has already created 25 new jobs and also supports over 200 existing roles within the yard which is another example of the real benefits for the industry and direct investment making a real difference from this Government.”

Kris Kinnear, Capital Delivery Director, Scotland’s Railway, said: “The £33 million investment into Cadder Depot will bring many strategic benefits for Scotland’s Railway including providing greater flexibility for freight and passenger services, and ultimately improving performance on key intercity routes.

“Working with Transport Scotland, ScotRail and the Rail Systems Alliance to develop, design and build this facility has been a really brilliant example of strong partnership working, and its location between Glasgow and Edinburgh is ideal for the workforce who are taking forward the rolling programme of decarbonisation.”

David Lister, Safety, Engineering & Sustainability Director, ScotRail said: “Since opening in December 2021, Cadder Depot has become an important addition to our maintenance facilities. 

 “The ability to accommodate our high-speed Inter7City trains overnight has taken pressure off depots across the country. It’s allowed us to clean, refuel, and service these trains in a location that’s perfectly suited, and near to where many Inter7City trains start or end their journey. 

 “This investment is key to the continued evolution of Scotland’s Railway and will help us ensure that our railway is fit for the future.” 

Photo credit: Network Rail

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