Siemens Mobility has been awarded an eight-year contract extension to maintain the Class 185 fleet on TransPennine Express routes linking Manchester, Sheffield Cleethorpes, and Hull. The majority of maintenance work will take place at Ardwick Depot, Manchester and subsidiary depots at York and Cleethorpes.
Sambit Banerjee, MD for Rolling Stock and Customer Services at Siemens Mobility, said “This contract extension is fantastic news and a real testament to the team working so incredibly hard to ensure the trains perform at a continued high standard. We will work closely with the operator to keep the trains well maintained and continue to offer the best passenger experience.”
David Walker, Head of Fleet Commercial for TransPennine Express, said: “We have had a long and productive relationship with Siemens Mobility and we are delighted to continue working together with the award of this eight-year contract extension. We are looking forward to Siemens Mobility, Eversholt Rail and TransPennine Express delivering further improvements to one of our key fleets through building upon our strong, collaborative partnership. Suppliers like Siemens are vital in making sure that customers remain at the heart of everything that we do and we are committed to offering the best passenger experience when people choose to travel with us.”
Siemens Mobility has been maintaining the fleet since 2006 and has delivered a programme to provide a full digital upgrade to the 51-strong fleet leading to improved reliability. The technology-based solutions have given the trains a new lease of life and ensured they remain as one of the UK’s most reliable fleets.
The Class 185s use Siemens Mobility’s cloud-based Railigent X application suite, this means the trains are fitted with remote condition monitoring which allows the teams to get direct updates on each train and how it is performing, including any areas that need to be prioritised for maintenance. The technology provides updates on individual vehicles as well an accurate picture across the whole fleet, ensuring the 20-year-old trains can give the best passenger experience. This technology has meant the train fleet has performed consistently well, winning industry reliability awards.
The contract means Siemens Mobility will work closely with operator TranspennineTrains Limited and the trains’ owners Eversholt Rail Leasing Limited until at least 2031.
