Siemens Mobility will move ahead with its GBP 100 million investment in a cutting-edge rail infrastructure, digital engineering, and research and development facility in Chippenham after receiving planning permission from Wiltshire County Council.
On-site construction will start early next year and will be carried out by British contractor, Bowmer + Kirland, who will bring their expertise in delivering industrial and commercial building projects.
The new facility will play a pivotal role in Siemens Mobility’s future projects in Britain. It will serve as a site to build the next generation of conventional, digital rail signalling and control systems.
“I’m really pleased that construction will soon begin on our world leading digital engineering, and research and development facility. Our 800-strong Chippenham workforce has played a key role in the UK and this upgrade will help in sustaining local jobs and skills for future generations. For more than 125 years, Siemens Mobility has invested in Chippenham and is going to continue to transform rail travel in Britain for many years to come,” Rob Morris, Joint UK&I CEO and Managing Director for Rail Infrastructure said.
“Bowmer + Kirkland are delighted to be chosen as Siemens Mobility’s construction partner to deliver this state-of-the-art facility in Chippenham. Our vast experience in the delivery of high-quality buildings and our expertise in sustainable construction methods, community engagement and engagement with local SMEs wherever we build will ensure that this project provides a valuable legacy both locally and to the surrounding area,” Nick McQuaid, Regional Director for Bowmer + Kirkland said.
Currently 50 – 60% of the factory’s output is delivered to UK signalling projects, with the remainder exported worldwide.
Some of these projects include:
- Elizabeth, Victoria, and Central lines (Metro Signaling): The Chippenham site has been fundamental in the digital signalling technology driving passenger journeys on the Elizabeth line. The Victoria line, where trains arrive every 100-seconds at peak times, has also benefited from the company’s intelligent digital technologies since it opened in 1968.
- East Coast Digital Programme and Trackguard Westrace: The factory played a key role in developing computer-based interlockings in the 1980s, forming the foundation of technology used today on the East Coast Digital Programme and Thameslink before that. This collaborative effort with partners aims to transform the East Coast Main Line into the UK’s first digital intercity railway.
- Modular Technology: The application of modular technology, tested in Chippenham, has significantly improved connections for local communities on the North Wales Coast, reducing costs and carbon footprint. This modular approach is now being extended to open the Northumberland Line to passenger traffic and update signalling between Devon and Cornwall.
- Development of Relays for Railway Signalling: Siemens Mobility’s Chippenham factory has been a key player in creating electrically operated switches, known as relays, since they were first introduced to the rail network as a safety feature in the 1900s. With a track record of supplying more than two million relays across 95 countries and counting, the factory has continued to maintain its market-leading position.
- Centralised Traffic Control: Chippenham was at the forefront of delivering the first centralized traffic control systems in the UK in the 1920s. Today, Siemens’ centralised traffic control and associated systems are in use across the UK, showcasing innovations like Dynamic Conflict Resolution, which has been successfully employed in projects such as Merseyrail.
The new site, located south of Langley Park at Southpoint Business Park will feature a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ – certified office, with production and warehouse areas meeting strict sustainability criteria. The site has been designed to blend in with its surroundings and will undergo an ecological assessment aiming for a 10% net increase in biodiversity through the planting of native plants and the creation of wildlife habitats.
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