As part of Network Rail’s £750 million programme to improve the railway along the First Great Western route, a specially designed operations base costing £1.7 million has been built in Fairwater Yard, Taunton to house the High Output Track Relaying System (TRT) and High Output Ballast Cleaner (HOBC). The Fairwater complex now consists of three miles of track and has 14 sets of points. Work started on developing the site in January 2006 and it became fully operational in January 2007.

The High Output equipment, worth over £50 million, will bring a major improvement to the railway in the West Country over the next few years. This world class, award winning equipment works three times faster than conventional renewals systems. This not only reduces the need for lengthy closures of the railway for engineering work, but will also improve passenger comfort by making the track smoother and preventing the need for speed restrictions in coming years. Work previously always undertaken in weekend blockades can now be undertaken at night during weekdays, frequently working for just two or three hours.

Colin Ness, Network Rail's High Output Programme Engineering Manager, who presented the site to the media on 15 February 2007 said: "The High Output Track Renewals Systems do the work of several machines simultaneously: one system removes old rail and old sleepers, levels the ballast bed, lays new sleepers and installs new rail – all in one continuous on the move process - the other system deals with the ballast. This means that we can replace up to five hundred metres of track, sleepers and ballast each night. We successfully used the High Output Systems in the recent three week closure of the railway between Taunton and Highbridge & Burnham." It has also operated on the Thames Valley Lines and the Swindon-Bristol section.

As part of the project, Network Rail is also working closely with the West Somerset Railway. Used ballast is being provided by Network Rail as construction material for the building of a West Somerset Railway triangle near Taunton, avoiding the need for many lorry movements in the local area. For this connection between NR and the WSR has been upgraded, with an almost daily movement of ballast between Taunton and Bishops Lydeard.

Paul Conibeare, General Manager of the West Somerset Railway , said “We are delighted to be working with Network Rail in this unique partnership - re-using the ballast to construct the triangle for turning locomotives and coaches, enabling Steam hauled charter trains to visit Somerset as a new and exciting destination.”

The Track Renewal Train (TRT) which is 750m in length (when fully formed) and weighs 3,000 tonnes was built by Matisa in Switzerland, with 50 support wagons (carrying sleepers in modular units) built by WH Davis of Langwith Junction. This machine with a staff of up to 35 slowly progresses along the line, powered by Freightliner Class 66 motive power. On board equipment unclips the rail fastners, moves the rails out the way, scoops up the old sleepers, piles them up and transports them down the train via an overhead gantry crane and then fetches new sleepers, lowering them into position at the correct distance apart before returning the running rails and re-clipping them into position. Huge overhead lifting gantries on the train move the sleepers around and place them into storage blocks (lengthwise) ready for disposal. Trackside equipment such as Pandrol clips are rounded up by a huge magnet, placed on a moving belt and put into onboard storage boxes. Sleepers for the train are sourced from Peterborough.

The High Output Ballast Train (HOBC) is one of the most advanced track maintenance trains in the World, it was built by Plasser & Theurer in Austria, when fully formed it is 780m long and has a staff of up to 26. This train scoops up all the old track ballast from under the trains central control vehicle, grades the ballast to remove dirt, dust and other debris, returning the graded ballast to the track bed. To top up the ballast which has been removed as of no further use, new ballast is carried, this is injected in the right amounts in the right place. All this is done in one ongoing operation. The main control vehicles for the train are formed in the centre, with used ballast (spoil) wagons at one end and new ballast wagons at the other, all are connected by a robust conveyor system, and controlled by the main central control vehicle.

Once the TRT and HOBC have operated through the section, a combined tamper and track stabilizer passes over the line to return it to fully operational condition.

The TRT formation was transferred from its previous Reading base in September 2006 and was joined by the HOBC in January this year. The trains still return to Reading and perform work as required in the Thames Valley area. Network Rail say the Fairwater Yard, Taunton complex will remain operational until 2010.

The Taunton site is operated by Network rail and engineering partners First Swietelsky.

Shunting operations at Fairwater will soon be undertaken by Class 73 No. 73133, hired from Cambrian Transport Ltd. In the future sister loco No. 73210, presently at Stewarts Lane under restoration is likely to join No. 73133 at Taunton.