A quarter of a billion pounds investment programme in rail travel for passengers in the North of England reached its pinnacle on 10 May 2007, when His Royal Highness, The Duke of York, officially opened the new Siemens train depot in York.

The opening of the £10 million depot marks the completion of the £250 million First TransPennine Express Pennine Class 185 Desiro fleet of 51 trains. The new depot will support Siemens’ £30 million fleet maintenance facility in Ardwick, Manchester, which was opened in 2006.

Over 150 jobs have been created across both depots, which use state-of-the-art technology to maintain trains which typically travel 185,000 miles each year across a network stretching from Liverpool in the Northwest to Newcastle-upon-Tyne in the Northeast.

The introduction of the Pennine Class 185 fleet has transformed customer service on the First TransPennine Express network with 95% of passengers preferring the striking new trains to previous rolling stock. The project is the culmination of a successful partnership between the government, fleet owner HSBC Rail, train manufacturer and maintainer Siemens Transportation Systems and service operator First TransPennine Express.

Alan Wood, chief executive of Siemens UK, said: "I welcome the major investment made in the UK rail network and new trains as illustrated by the First TransPennine Express fleet and the York depot opening today. By providing the infrastructure to offer a reliable, high-quality rail service, we help our customers attract passengers, reducing the road congestion that can cripple our economy and damage the environment in which we live and work."

Christian Roth, managing director for Siemens Transportation Systems said: "The completion of the fleet and opening of our York depot highlights the dedication of Siemens and its partners to delivering a high quality train supported by first class maintenance facilities. We are committed to keeping the fleet running reliably throughout the lifetime of the franchise and beyond. "

Vernon Barker, managing director of First TransPennine Express, said: "The official opening of York depot marks the final phase of our successful £260m investment into new trains and depots. Our customers and staff are already telling us how delighted they are with the Pennine Class 185s and the depot will help us to maintain these high standards. This is a major investment for transport in the north of England and the increase in the number of passengers using our trains indicates that more people are choosing to travel by rail."

HSBC Rail (UK) Ltd finances the provision of the new trains which will be leased to First TransPennine Express during its eight year franchise. Peter Aldridge, head of HSBC Rail said: "The successful introduction of the Class 185s and construction of both depots is built around the close working partnership First Group and Siemens have built with us. This depot will help Siemens and First TransPennine Express to sustain the step change in quality of service that First TransPennine Express passengers are now experiencing. "

The depot in York is the fifth facility built in the UK by Siemens Transportation Systems, which includes depots at Northampton, Acton in West London, Northam in Southampton and Ardwick in Manchester.