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Reading Train Care Depot completed

VolkerFitzpatrick has successfully completed the construction of the new 6,500m2 £36m Reading Train Care Depot for Network Rail, as part of the Reading Area Redevelopment Scheme.

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The new depot, which VolkerFitzpatrick began constructing in November 2011, has been built to the west of Reading station to free up the depot's previous location for new rail routes to increase rail transport capacity. Built with enhancements to allow for future stabling and servicing of electric trains, the new depot will provide capacity for 147 vehicles made up of a mixture of diesel and electric trains.

The new 210m long, 37m wide depot shed has been built with a three road light maintenance ‘through' road shed and a single road heavy maintenance shed, main stores, a workshop, plant rooms, a signalling room, a three storey production management office with 17 associated buildings and a 30 space car park.

Other works included a new access road and associated drainage works, site drainage including interceptors, pump chambers, soakaways and holding tanks, fuel farm, drivers walkway and lighting, under track crossing (UTX's) and duct routes, a substation and troughing routes.

This project also saw the first overhead wires installed for Network Rail's £895 million Great Western Electrification Programme. 2,000m of overhead line was installed on 211 head spans from the east sidings to the west sidings, along with depot ballasted track involving overhead line electrification (OLE), piling, construction of OLE structures and bases and OLE bonding .

Bill Henry, Network Rail project director, commented on the project: "VolkerFitzpatrick's multi-disciplinary team has performed since day one to a consistently high standard, collaborating with Network Rail and our stakeholders to meet project objectives safely and on time." 

Throughout this project VolkerFitzpatrick has worked hard to maintain the highest health and safety standards. By implementing its ‘Incident and Injury Free' initiative and ‘Flywheel Safety Model', VolkerFitzpatrick's project teams completed 350,000 man hours RIDDOR free.

VolkerFitzpatrick was also awarded 30 STAR awards and two Platinum Badger Awards through Network Rail's STAR awards scheme, which was established to recognise and reward worksites and compounds who achieve high levels of health, safety and environmental risk control. To date VolkerFitzpatrick is the only contractor to have achieved badger status twice since the scheme began.

VolkerFitzpatrick also introduced new innovative products and procedures to this project, including the use of syphonic drainage to prevent overcrowding of the underground services and GRP duct boxes to reduce manual handling.

Richard Offord, managing director of VolkerFitzpatrick commented on the project: "This project show cases how VolkerFitzpatrick, through collaboration and understanding the needs and challenges associated with depot works, has gained a reputation as market leader in the delivery of rail depots and train care facilities."

In recognition of their hard work and commitment throughout this project VolkerFitzpatrick and the Network Rail team achieved BS11000 certification for collaborative working.