GB Railfreight has completed £1.5m worth of major upgrade works to the Local Distribution Centres at Eastleigh and Bescot.

Funded by Network Rail, the work at Bescot and Eastleigh has been completed as the Local Distribution Centres are a focal point for shunting and preparing trains needed for engineering works.

The work at Eastleigh has been two years in the making, with old cabins replaced with updated facilities to provide office space, meeting rooms as well as a vantage point that looks over the yard.

Staff relocated to the new facility on the 1st June.

Meanwhile, at Bescot, work has included upgrading some of the unsafe track at the site, whilst removing abandoned buildings, lighting upgrades, and the installation of crash barriers.

Mike Black, Supply Chain Services Director of Network Rail said: “Local distribution centres may not instinctively sound like the most critical part of running a railway, but they’re absolutely vital to maintaining and renewing the railway, and keeping our passengers and freight moving.

“The improvements delivered at Eastleigh and Bescot are part of our wider strategy to modernise supply chain operations sites in order to make working practices even safer and more efficient while also improving performance.”

David Golding, Asset Director of GB Railfreight, said: “Our partnership with Network Rail has seen the completion of both projects on time and within budget, providing the facilities needed to ensure the smooth running of LDCs, which are a vital part of our infrastructure system in the UK. This work will help to bring LDCs into the twenty-first century, as we see demand for UK-wide possession and support services increase post-pandemic.”

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