Siemens Mobility has opened its new GBP 6 million Multi-Functional Centre at Kings Heath Depot in Northampton, strengthening its UK maintenance and modernisation capabilities while creating more than 30 local jobs.
The purpose-built facility will support essential modifications and upgrades to passenger trains across the UK, offering both dedicated workshop capacity and a mobile team able to deliver enhancement work directly at operator sites. The investment forms part of Siemens Mobility’s wider programme to expand its UK footprint and boost the rail sector’s technical capabilities.
A strategic investment for UK rail
Lucy Rigby KC MP, Member of Parliament for Northampton North, officially opened the new centre and welcomed its contribution to local employment and skills.
“It was a privilege to officially open Siemens Mobility’s state-of-the-art Multi-Functional Centre and meet the highly skilled team working to enhance passenger journeys. It’s fantastic to see how Siemens Mobility’s local investment is fostering economic growth, creating new jobs and developing skills right here in Northampton,” she said.
Sambit Banerjee, Joint CEO and Managing Director for Rolling Stock and Customer Services, emphasised the facility’s role in supporting the UK’s evolving rail fleet.
“Our new Multi-Functional Centre at Kings Heath is the latest example of Siemens Mobility’s investment in the UK and another step forward for the rail industry. This GBP 6 million investment expands our capacity to deliver vital upgrades for passenger trains and creates 30 additional jobs – all part of our mission to transform rail travel for passengers across the country.”
Supporting fleet upgrades nationwide
The Kings Heath centre will handle modernisation projects such as interior refurbishments, improvements to seating and accessible toilets, upgraded luggage areas, and the installation of power and charging facilities. The first project at the site will focus on East Midlands Railway’s Class 360 units, aiming to improve comfort and reliability for passengers.
Alongside depot-based work, the investment expands Siemens Mobility’s mobile capability, enabling engineering teams to carry out modification programmes at operators’ own depots. The team recently completed the first-in-class installation of Siemens Mobility’s Variable Rate Sanding technology on a third-party fleet, improving braking performance in low-adhesion conditions.
The next mobile project will involve upgrading On-Train Data Recorders (OTDR) to enable mobile connectivity, strengthening reliability and data availability across additional fleets.
Biodiversity and sustainability commitments
Construction of the Multi-Functional Centre delivered a 17% net gain in biodiversity, achieved through new landscaping, on-site habitat improvements and the creation of a wildflower garden. Siemens Mobility will plant additional trees in early winter as part of its broader sustainability strategy under the DEGREE framework.
Part of a wider UK growth strategy
The Northampton investment forms part of Siemens Mobility’s long-term programme to expand UK rail manufacturing, servicing and technology capabilities. In recent years, the company has committed around GBP 340 million to new facilities, including:
- up to GBP 240 million in the Rail Village in Goole, Yorkshire, where Siemens will assemble the next generation of Piccadilly line trains and intends to build Britain’s battery bi-mode trains
- GBP 100 million in Chippenham, Wiltshire, for the new Rail Technology Centre
- new logistics and distribution centres in Goole and Kettering to reduce delivery times and lower carbon emissions from transport
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