Transport Minister Tavish Scott officially opened a new maintenance facility at First ScotRail’s Haymarket Depot in Edinburgh on Tuesday 13 February 2007.

The enhancement to maintenance facilities is one of the biggest rail depot improvements ever undertaken in Scotland – and will lead to further measurable improvements in cutting train delays.

The £6.7m investment is funded mainly by the Executive as part of the rail franchise agreement with First ScotRail. The company is also investing more than £1.5m as part of a package designed to improve the efficiency of its train fleet. The depot maintains the Class 170 Turbostar fleet – some 177 vehicles in total - which operate on First ScotRail’s main express routes in Scotland. They include Edinburgh-Glasgow services, and routes linking both cities and the Central belt to Aberdeen and Inverness as well as the Fife Circle. Some 30 Class 158 vehicles are also maintained at the depot.

The engineering team has already recorded a 51% reduction in delays and a 43% cut in cancellations caused by trains maintained at the depot. These achievements, delivering real and lasting benefits to passengers, are even more remarkable given that construction work at the depot restricted access over prolonged periods.

The new investment is a further step in the drive to reduce downtime of trains and improve the quality of maintenance. The depot workforce was named Transport Team of the Year at the Scottish Transport Awards 2006.

Mr Scott said: “Scottish passengers deserve services they can rely on. That is why this investment is so important. These improvements will lead to improved efficiency and capacity at a time of major investment in the Scottish rail network.”

Mary Dickson, managing director of First ScotRail, welcomed the Scottish Executive’s support, and said: “The contribution by Haymarket depot has been the single most significant factor in First ScotRail reducing its overall delays by 32% since the franchise began in October 2004.”

Andy Mellors, First ScotRail’s engineering director, added: “Whilst there is still more to be done, the reductions in delays and cancellations caused by the the fleet which is maintained at Haymarket are a clear indication of the value of the Scottish Executive and First ScotRail investment.”

While at Haymarket depot Mr Scott unveiled a plaque.
.
At present, heavy maintenance work - such as engine replacement - requires a train to be split into its three carriages and worked on separately. The new facilities allow all three carriages to be handled at once, reducing the time required to carry out this work. The Haymarket revamp includes a new maintenance shed as well as better fuelling and servicing facilities. They provide both additional capacity for day-to-day maintenance and new facilities for heavy maintenance projects.