THE DEPOT ADJACENT TO LEICESTER STATION IS SET TO SERVICE CROSSCOUNTRY TURBOSTARS
UK Rail Leasing’s Leicester depot is set to get a boost: from May 2021 it is to carry out overnight servicing and maintenance on CrossCountry’s Class 170 DMUs.
The operator’s 29-strong Turbostar fleet is based at Tyseley depot, where West Midlands Trains looks after the ‘170s’ under a maintenance service agreement. While around half of the fleet returns to Tyseley each night, other units are out-stabled at Cambridge, Bristol Barton Hill and Leicester.
At Cambridge and Barton Hill, servicing is undertaken at the Arriva TrainCare facilities there under contract, meaning activities such as toilet tank emptying, deep cleaning, fuel point exams and refuelling can be carried out. However, at Leicester the units are currently stabled in platforms and sidings, meaning the scope of overnight maintenance work is limited.