Kirkdale TMD

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Kirkdale TMD
Location
Location Kirkdale, Liverpool
Coordinates 53°26′16″N2°59′07″W / 53.4378°N 2.9852°W / 53.4378; -2.9852
OS grid SJ345939
Characteristics
Owner Network Rail
Operator Merseyrail (1976–2017)
Stadler Rail (2017–pres)
Depot codeKK (1976–pres) [1]
Type EMU
BEMU
Rolling stock Class 777
History
Opened1976 [2]
Original British Rail
Former rolling stock

Kirkdale TMD is a traction maintenance depot located beside Kirkdale railway station in north Liverpool, England. The depot is the largest on the Merseyrail network; it is located on the Northern Line and is used primarily for stabling units, heavy maintenance and cleaning units both internally and externally. [3] [4] It is owned by Network Rail and operated by Stadler.

Contents

Operation of Kirkdale depot was transferred from Merseyrail to Stadler Rail Service UK in October 2017. The depot is Stadler Rail's United Kingdom headquarters and the majority of the company's UK workforce will be based at this site. [5] At Kirkdale, Stadler Rail is responsible for their maintenance setup and staff at the Norwich Crown Point maintenance depot, Glasgow Subway and the future Tyne and Wear Metro maintenance and staff. [6] [7] [8] The site was extended and uprated. [9] Work finished on an extensive re-build in November 2019, allowing the depot to become the main maintenance hub for the new Class 777 fleet. [3]

Although Kirkdale is the largest Merseyrail depot, most heavy maintenance is currently carried out at Birkenhead North TMD. This will be reversed once the new Class 777 fleet is fully introduced.

History

Bank Hall depot

The site was originally used for the Bank Hall motive power depot, which closed in 1966. [2] The original depot was adjoined by a large area of sidings with more than thirty roads but, following the cessation of express trains operating to and from Liverpool Exchange station in May 1970, the sidings were rarely used.

Rebuild as Kirkdale depot

In 1976, when the new Loop and Link tunnels were being constructed to replace the surface station at Liverpool Exchange, the sidings were lifted and transformed into a modern maintenance depot, which was named after the nearby station. A new shed with four roads was constructed, with inspection pits under the tracks. Each road is long enough to house two three-car sets coupled together. A new carriage wash plant was also built so that units could be driven through and cleaned in a very short amount of time. This is the only active washing plant on Merseyrail, with the other washing plant at Birkenhead North being destroyed by consistent vandalism.

In 2006, a brand new wheel lathe was installed at Kirkdale [2] in an area of the depot which was formerly used for the storage of departmental equipment. The commissioning of the new wheel lathe subsequently ended the long running necessity to tow any units requiring wheel turning to the lathe at Allerton depot (located near Liverpool South Parkway) behind a Class 08 diesel shunter, with units transferring from and back to the Merseyrail network via the crossover at Hunts Cross.

Second rebuild

Merseyrail's fleet of Class 507 and 508 units is scheduled to be replaced by a fleet of Class 777 units built by Stadler Rail at Bussnang, Switzerland. As part of the overall fleet replacement project, which will cost £460 million, both Kirkdale and Birkenhead North depots will be upgraded to a standard which will be capable of maintaining the new trains. [10]

In March 2017, Camberley-based construction company BAM Nuttall announced that they had been successful in winning a £20 million contract to refurbish Birkenhead North and rebuild the depot at Kirkdale. The depot is operated by Stadler Rail Service UK, a subsidiary of the new fleet's manufacturer, and has a driver training simulator, maintenance shed and washing and stabling facilities for up to 30 trains. [11] Construction of the new facilities commenced in October 2017, with work completed by November 2019, in time for the delivery and testing of the new fleet. [12] [3]

Allocation

Currently, Class 507, Class 508 and Class 777 electric multiple units are based at Kirkdale depot, and regularly stabled in the back sidings near Bank Hall station. In 2006, a new small diesel shunter was allocated to the depot to take sets into the new wheel lathe.

Previously, battery locomotives and Class 73 locos have been stored at the depot in the past for sandite duties in the winter. Network Rail stables its MPV diesel unit(s) here occasionally during the leaf fall season.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Merseyrail</span> Commuter rail system in England

Merseyrail is a commuter rail network which serves Merseyside and adjacent areas of Cheshire and Lancashire. Merseyrail serves 69 stations, 67 of which it manages, across two lines – the Northern Line and the Wirral Line. The network uses 750 V DC third rail electrified lines having 75.0 miles (120.7 km) of routes, of which 6.5 miles (10.5 km) are underground. Since January 2023, Merseyrail commenced replacing its train fleet, withdrawing the Class 507 and 508 trains and introducing 53 new Class 777 trains. The network carried 28.3 million passengers in the 2023/2024 statistical period.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British Rail Class 507</span> Class of electric multiple unit train

The British Rail Class 507 is a type of electric multiple unit (EMU) passenger train built by British Rail Engineering Limited at Holgate Road carriage works in two batches from 1978 to 1980. They are a variant of British Rail's standard 1972 design for suburban EMUs derived from PEP stock, which eventually encompassed 755 vehicles over five classes. They have worked on the Merseyrail network from new until their retirement in November 2024. Between 2002 and 2005, all units were refurbished by Alstom's Eastleigh Works.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British Rail Class 508</span> Class of electric multiple unit train

The British Rail Class 508 (4PER) was a class of electric multiple unit (EMU) passenger train built by British Rail Engineering Limited, at Holgate Road carriage works, York, in 1979 and 1980. They were a variant of British Rail's standard 1972 design for suburban EMUs, eventually encompassing 755 vehicles and five classes (313/314/315/507/508). They mostly worked on the Merseyrail network from 1982 until withdrawal on 16 January 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Birkenhead North railway station</span> Railway station on the West Kirby & New Brighton branches of the Wirral line in England

Birkenhead North railway station serves the town of Birkenhead, in Merseyside, England. The station is situated on the Wirral Line of the Merseyrail network, close to the junction of the New Brighton and West Kirby branches. Birkenhead North TMD, situated just to the west of the station, is the main traction maintenance depot for the Merseyrail fleet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British Rail Class 503</span> Class of British electric multiple unit

British Rail Class 503 passenger trains were 65 mph (105 km/h) electric multiple units. They were introduced in two batches: the first were in 1938, by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS), with a further batch in 1956 by the then nationalised British Railways (BR). When introduced by the LMS, they were known officially as Class AM3. They were designed for, and operated on, the Wirral & Mersey lines from Liverpool to West Kirby, New Brighton and Rock Ferry. There were few places on their network of closely-spaced stations to attain their maximum speed, except for the open section between Moreton and Meols. All but one set were withdrawn and scrapped by 1985. The final set was used on special Merseyrail services until 1988; it was preserved and kept at the Electric Railway Museum near Coventry, until it moved on to the Locomotive Storage Ltd warehouse at Margate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kirkdale railway station</span> Stop on the Northern Line of the Merseyrail network

Kirkdale railway station is a railway station in Kirkdale, Liverpool, England, located to the north of the city centre on the Northern Line of the Merseyrail network. It acts as the interchange between the branches to Kirkby and Ormskirk; these lines diverge just north of the station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British Rail Class 502</span>

The British Rail Class 502 was a type of electric multiple-unit passenger train, originally built by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway at its Derby Works. Introduced in 1940 and withdrawn by 1980, they spent the whole of their working lives on the electrified railway lines north of Liverpool.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hoylake railway station</span> Railway station serving Hoylake, Wirral, Merseyside, England

Hoylake railway station serves the town of Hoylake, Merseyside, England. It lies on the West Kirby branch of the Wirral Line, part of the Merseyrail network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rock Ferry railway station</span> Railway station on the Chester & Ellesmere Port branches of the Wirral line in England

Rock Ferry railway station is situated in the Rock Ferry area of Birkenhead, Merseyside, England. The station lies 4.5 miles (7 km) south west of Liverpool Lime Street on the Chester and Ellesmere Port branches of the Wirral Line of the Merseyrail network. The station has an island platform with four platforms in total and four tracks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Birkenhead Dock Branch</span> Disused rail line in Wirral, England

Birkenhead Dock Branch is a disused railway line running from the South junction of Rock Ferry, to the site of the former Bidston Dock on the Wirral Peninsula, England. The branch is approximately 4+1⁄2 miles (7.2 km) in length. Although called a branch, the line was accessible from both ends, from Bidston East junction and from Rock Ferry railway station. The former Mollington Street Rail Depot was branched into the line. A section of the line runs through Haymarket Tunnel and a low-level cutting through the centre of Birkenhead; visible from the road flyovers. The former Canning Street North signal box has now been demolished following fire damage, and the rails across the level crossing there have been removed due to the provision of cycle lanes on the roadway. The non-standard gates remain on the east side, but a fence has been erected on the other side despite the railway being officially out of use, rather than closed. Level crossings are also located at Duke Street and Wallasey Bridge Road. The railway lines are still partially intact.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Birkenhead North TMD</span> Rail depot in Birkenhead, England

Birkenhead North TMD is a traction maintenance depot, which is owned by Network Rail and operated by Stadler. Located opposite Birkenhead North railway station, it is currently responsible for servicing and stabling Merseyrail's fleet of class 777 electric multiple units and also services and stables Transport for Wales' fleet of 5 Class 230 diesel-battery electric multiple units.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Allerton TMD</span> Railway depot in Allerton, England

Allerton TMD is a railway depot situated in Allerton, Liverpool. Situated opposite Liverpool South Parkway bus and rail interchange, it is visible from trains which are travelling between the former and Hunts Cross and the overhead passageway above platforms 1 to 4 at Liverpool South Parkway. The depot is located less than 2 km (1.2 mi) from the Freightliner intermodal terminal at Garston Docks and is also 7 km (4.3 mi) from the Stobart Rail intermodal depot in Widnes.

Hall Road TMD was a railway traction maintenance depot situated adjacent to Hall Road railway station, Merseyside, England. The depot was a facility for storage and servicing of Merseyrail multiple units and rolling stock. It had two shed roads and four additional siding tracks; each road had capacity for three Class 507 or Class 508 electric multiple unit (EMU) sets . The depot code was HR.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Penzance TMD</span> Railway traction maintenance depot in Cornwall, England

Penzance TMD, also known as Long Rock TMD, is a railway traction maintenance depot situated in the village of Long Rock east of Penzance, Cornwall, England, and is the most westerly and southerly rail depot in the country. The depot operator is Great Western Railway. The depot code is PZ.

The area around Hornsey railway station in Hornsey has been the site of several railway maintenance facilities from the mid 19th century onwards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hither Green TMD</span> Railway depot in the United Kingdom

Hither Green (London) Traction Maintenance Depot or Hither Green (London) TMD is a railway depot used for the maintenance and servicing of freight trains adjacent to the Hither Green marshalling yard. The depot is a hub for moving freight around southeast England. Hither Green TMD is owned and operated by DBS. The official depot code is HG. In steam days the shed code was 73C.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Birkenhead Central TMD</span> Former rail depot in Birkenhead, England

Birkenhead Central TMD is a former traction maintenance depot located adjacent to Birkenhead Central railway station, in Birkenhead, England. The depot was located nearby to the former depot at Mollington Street. The Birkenhead Central depot was closed in 1997, although the depot housing still exists along with all the track.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ilford Depot</span> Railway maintenance depot in Ilford, Greater London

Ilford Depot is a traction maintenance depot located in Ilford, Greater London, England. The site is used for train stabling and maintenance by Greater Anglia, Elizabeth line, London Overground and Alstom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British Rail Class 777</span> Merseyrail electric multiple unit trains

The British Rail Class 777 METRO is a class of electric multiple unit passenger trains currently being delivered by the Swiss rolling stock manufacturer Stadler Rail, being used on the Merseyrail network in the Liverpool City Region and adjacent areas of Cheshire and Lancashire. The trains have the ability to operate on the third rail-powered sections of the network, with some units carrying onboard batteries to allow use on unpowered track. Ordered in 2016, construction of the units began in 2018. The first unit entered service on 23 January 2023, following delays to the deployment programme. The Class 777 will replace Merseyrail's current Class 507 and Class 508 units, which were built between 1978 and 1980. Seven units of the total 53 ordered are being configured as battery electric multiple units (BEMUs) for use on non-electrified lines, being designated subclass 777/1.

References

  1. ↑ "The all-time guide to UK Shed and Depot Codes" (PDF). TheRailwayCentre.com. 5 May 2006. Archived from the original on 17 December 2013. Retrieved 25 August 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  2. 1 2 3 Cadwallader & Jenkins 2010, p. 45
  3. 1 2 3 McDonough, Tony (15 November 2019). "Depot undergoes £21m rebuild ahead of arrival of new Merseyrail trains". Liverpool Business News. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  4. ↑ Vaughan, Chloé (18 November 2019). "Stadler Rail's £21m depot completes in Kirkdale". Place North West. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  5. ↑ Ord, Matthew (18 November 2019). "Work completes on £21m Stadler Rail rebuild". Insider Media. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  6. ↑ "Greater Anglia's £40m refurb of Crown Point Depot begins". Rail Technology. 24 April 2018. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  7. ↑ "Stadler and Nexus sign contract for delivery and maintenance of 42 METRO trains in Newcastle upon Tyne". Stadler. 11 February 2020. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  8. ↑ "Stadler supplies automated train for Glasgow Subway". Railtech.com. 10 May 2019. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  9. ↑ "Key Milestone in the New Trains Project as Engineering Staff Transfer to Stadler from Merseyrail" (PDF). Stadler Rail. Stadler Rail. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
  10. ↑ "Merseyrail to get new train fleet". Global Rail News. 19 December 2016. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 12 February 2017.
  11. ↑ Houghton, Alistair (21 March 2017). "New train depot for Kirkdale- and builder pledges to use local workers". Liverpool Echo.
  12. ↑ "Construction begins on Kirkdale depot to maintain new Merseyrail fleet". Rail Technology Magazine. Retrieved 30 September 2017.

Sources

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