Alstom has welcomed the first-ever passenger service into its Widnes modernisation facility.
The welcoming was during a UK Railtours charter – The Industria Ditat – which has visited the 13,000 m² Alstom Transport Technology Centre as it traversed rare track across the British network on its journey between Hertfordshire and North Wales. The Latin phrase ‘Industria Ditat’ translates as ‘Industry Enriches’ and is the motto of the Cheshire town of Widnes.
“Welcoming our first-ever passenger service to Widnes was a proud moment for the entire team based here. The visit by UK Railtours not only showcased the scale and capability of our Transport Technology Centre, but it also celebrated the passion and heritage that drive our work every day,” said John Clerk, Widnes Head of Operations and Parts at Alstom.
Topped and tailed by GB Railfreight locomotives 57303 and 60087, the train arrived as 1Z15 at Widnes at around 10:30am.
The train entered the Widnes modernisation facility onto the arrival/departure line, parking behind a newly refurbished unit that was awaiting departure later in the day. The train remained on site for almost an hour, allowing the enthusiastic passengers on board a chance to observe and capture rare footage of a facility most have never had access to before. 1Z15 then left the site through Ditton Sidings to Ditton East Junction.
Opened in 2017, Alstom’s Widnes facility is the UK’s largest and most sophisticated centre for train modernisation. Its vast size and close embrace of digital principles, makes it ideal for work on both intercity and commuter trains. Recent projects completed by the site include a GBP 117 million refurbishment programme of Avanti West Coast’s Class 390 Pendolino trains and a GBP 25 million renewal of South Western Railway’s Class 458 fleet.
After its Widnes stop, The Industria Ditat continued on towards its final destination of Glan Conwy Freight Depot via Llandudno Junction, before returning to Watford Junction along the West Coast Main Line. Passengers travelled in a mixture of Mark 2 and Mark 3 heritage carriages provided by Eastern Rail Services, all of which were built at Alstom’s Derby Litchurch Lane Works.
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