Siemens Mobility has been awarded a contract extension for the maintenance of the Class 185 fleet serving TransPennine Express routes operating between Manchester, Sheffield and Cleethorpes and Manchester to Hull from northwest of England depots. The majority of maintenance work will take place at Ardwick Depot, Manchester and subsidiary depots at York and Cleethorpes.
Sambit Banerjee, managing director for rolling stock and customer services at Siemens Mobility, said: “This contract extension is fantastic news and a real testament to the team working so incredibly hard to ensure the trains perform at a continued high standard. We will work closely with the operator to keep the trains well maintained and continue to offer the best passenger experience.”
David Walker, head of fleet commercial for TransPennine Express, said: “We have had a long and productive relationship with Siemens Mobility and we are delighted to continue working together with the award of this eight-year contract extension. We are looking forward to Siemens Mobility, Eversholt Rail and TransPennine Express delivering further improvements to one of our key fleets through building upon our strong, collaborative partnership. Suppliers like Siemens are vital in making sure that customers remain at the heart of everything that we do and we are committed to offering the best passenger experience when people choose to travel with us.”
Paul Sutherland, client services director at Eversholt Rail, said: “We look forward to working with TransPennine Trains Limited and Siemens Mobility to continue to deliver a reliable Class 185 fleet for passengers.”
The £460 million (€530 million) contract extension will continue to support around 200 jobs across Siemens Mobility depots in the north of England.
Siemens Mobility has been maintaining the fleet since 2006 and has delivered a programme to provide a full digital upgrade to the 51-strong fleet leading to improved reliability. The technology-based solutions have given the trains a new lease of life and ensured they remain as one of the UK’s most reliable fleets.
The Class 185s use Siemens Mobility’s cloud based Railigent X application suite, this means the trains are fitted with remote condition monitoring which allows the teams to get direct updates on each train and how it is performing, including any areas that need to be prioritised for maintenance. The technology provides updates on individual vehicles as well an accurate picture across the whole fleet, ensuring the 20-year-old trains can give the best passenger experience. This technology has meant the train fleet has performed consistently well, winning industry reliability awards.
Siemens Mobility will work closely with the operator, Transpennine Trains Limited, and train owner, Eversholt Rail Leasing Limited, to ensure the continued reliable service of the Class 185s throughout the extended contract to 2031.
Photo credit: Siemens Mobility
