Siemens Mobility is to expand its £200m rail village in Goole by building a new £7m component facility which will create up to 30 new jobs.
Business Minister Lee Rowley signed a steel of the building to mark the occasion.
The component facility, opening in 2023, will be built by GMI, which has developed the rest of the Siemens rail village, using their 100% British supply chain, over 70% of which based in Yorkshire, bringing further investment to the region.
Teams at the new facility will maintain traction drives and motors for Siemens Mobility UK train fleets (work currently done in Leeds), and will also maintain HVAC air conditioning units, with maintenance of further components for trains expected to be confirmed in the future.
As well as creating up to 30 jobs, business and expertise into the area, this vital infrastructure will help keep over 450 trains from Scotland to Southampton running, and therefore help millions of passengers move around the UK.
This development will further establish Goole as a centre of excellence for rail technology in the UK. With up to £200 million investment from Siemens Mobility, 700 new jobs will be created with a further 250 roles during the construction phase and an additional 1,700 indirect supply chain opportunities.
After signing the steel, the Minister toured the rail village which includes sites for manufacturing, service businesses, a supplier park, and the newly opened innovation hub, RaisE, and viewed the mock ups of the new Piccadilly line London Underground trains, the first which will be built in Goole.
The minister also met Siemens Mobility apprentices and representatives of Primary Engineer, which partners with Siemens Mobility to raise awareness of career opportunities in engineering and STEM, working with 13 local schools.
Speaking in Goole, Minister for Industry Lee Rowley said: “The government is working to unlock private investment to forge new opportunities for industry across the UK, and it’s fantastic to see Siemens Mobility’s commitment to Goole form a part of that.
“This Rail Village will keep East Yorkshire at the cutting edge of the rail industry, creating jobs and driving growth for businesses in the supply chain. Its use of British-made steel and commitment to inspiring the next generation of engineers by working with schools means this project embodies the very best of British manufacturing.”
Sambit Banerjee, Managing Director for Rolling Stock, said: “It is great to be able to show the minister our rail village and discuss with him the positive and lasting impact Siemens Mobility want to have in Goole.
“The rail village is a prime example of how investment in rail can support jobs and growth and help level up the UK. The rail village will establish Goole as a centre of expertise for the whole industry, and I’m sure that the next generation of decarbonisation and digital technologies will be developed here.”
Lee Powell, CEO of GMI Construction Group PLC, said: “We are committed to bringing added value to the projects we deliver, which includes utilising the talent and capabilities of local supply chain businesses.
“From within our wholly British supply chain, two thirds of the companies we have brought to this flagship project are Yorkshire-based, supporting local jobs, and keeping a strong proportion of the financial value of the development in the region.”
