Siemens Depot Open Day – Three Bridges Maintenance Facility

Description

Welcome to one of the newest and largest train maintenance facilities in the country, Three Bridges, which is 1.4 miles long, and has stabling capacity for 172 carriages. It’s home to the new Siemens Desiro City Class 700 fleet for the Thameslink route, maintained by Siemens and operated by GTR. Each year we at Siemens open one of our train maintenance sites to the public as part of our ‘Whistle Stop Tour’ series, and this year you can join us for a FREE behind-the-scenes look at Three Bridges on Saturday 14 October as part of Rail Week, when we’ll also be celebrating the depot’s 2nd birthday! See the state-of-the-art trains close up, take a walk underneath a train in the maintenance pit, sit in a driver’s cab, watch a bogie removal demonstration, have an opportunity to go in the simulator and see what’s involved in keeping the trains safe, reliable and comfortable for the travelling public. You can also find out about careers within the rail industry and opportunities to join us.

Here’s all the info you need to know to plan your visit on 14 October:

• No booking is required for the Three Bridges Traincare Facility Open Day on 14 October and the event is free to visit. Just turn up!

• We’ll be open from 10:00 – 17:00 on Saturday 14 October, with last entry at 16:00. We reserve the right to refuse entry to anyone who appears to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and under 16s must be accompanied by an adult.

• The depot is unsuitable for children under the age of 3 years old and no buggies / pushchairs can be accommodated on site due to space restrictions

• As a working train maintenance facility, there are some uneven surfaces and unavoidable stairs to climb to visit some of the attractions. Anyone in a wheelchair or requiring assistance should please let us know in advance at info.railsystems.gb@siemens.com and we will advise further. All visitors are advised to wear flat, comfortable shoes as it’s also one of the longest train maintenance sites, so quite a bit of walking will be involved in your visit.

• No parking is available on site (except for pre-booked disabled parking), therefore please use public transport. The site is located a short walk from Three Bridges train station where there is also a large chargeable public car park. Anyone requiring a disabled parking space should contact us at info.railsystems.gb@siemens.com in advance and also display their blue badge on the day.

• Although the event is free, we are raising money for our two partner charities Mind in Haringey and St. Catherine’s hospice. There will be stalls, refreshments and entertainment for all the family so bring some change!

For more information and to keep updated on the event, join us at http://www.facebook.com/whistlestoptour

You can take a sneak peak at the depot here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D81rp2s-kks

A bit more about the depot’s history:

The Three Bridges depot, along with its sister hi-tech train care centre in Hornsey, was constructed by VolkerFitzpatrick with an investment of over £300 million by Siemens and is part of Siemens’ wider investment in the UK through the Thameslink Programme.

The depot is the result of extensive collaboration between Siemens, GTR and Network Rail. It is fully signalled and incorporates key personnel safety features including a depot protection and emergency electrical isolation system. It has an automatic inspection facility, which through laser measurement can accurately predict when key train components need to be maintained or replaced. Other features include the installation of an in-cab simulator at the depot which will provide the specialist training each driver must undergo in order to drive a new Class 700 train, from theoretical practice to practical reality.

Come and see us on 14 October to find out more!