Porterbrook has opened a modern Asset Management Facility (AMF) at Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre near Stratford-upon-Avon.

Porterbrook acquired the135-acre site in 2021 and has carried out a programme of works to upgrade it. The company has converted former sheds that had fallen into a state of disrepair into the modern AMF.

The facility provides a high-quality space for maintenance and upgrades, including modification and refresh work and all types of on-train and underframe work.

With its new well-lit pitted roads, the facility can also support inspections, testing, commissioning, and customer acceptance.

Previous upgrades have included replacing the exterior of the facility to be more durable and weatherproof, and in December 2022 starting a further upgrade to create three pitted roads in the facility that can accommodate up to a six-car set.

460 metres of new rail was utilised in the construction of the pitted roads, and took 34,000 hours to complete over twenty-two weeks, with an average of thirty-five workers on site.

Customers who use the AMF will benefit from connection to the site’s test loop and mainline, delivery by rail or road, 24-hour site security, storage, office and mess facilities.

Ben Ackroyd, Chief Operation Officer of Porterbrook, said: “The Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre is already playing an important role in the future of rail as a site where innovative traction technologies are being trialled and tested. We’re thrilled to be adding the AMF to our services on site as valuable in supporting our customers with their asset management needs, whether it be upgrades or maintenance”.