| News Code 306856
Copied

Alstom’s Glasgow Traincare Centre Opens to the Public for Polmadie 150

This past weekend saw the opening of Alstom’s Glasgow Traincare Centre for the first time in 25 years in an event that aimed to celebrate both the depot’s 150th anniversary and Railway 200.

Alstom’s Glasgow Traincare Centre Opens to the Public for Polmadie 150
TINNews |

This past weekend saw the opening of Alstom’s Glasgow Traincare Centre for the first time in 25 years in an event that aimed to celebrate both the depot’s 150th anniversary and Railway 200.

Originally opened in 1875, the facility, which is currently the main cleaning and maintenance base for the Caledonian Sleeper service, is known as Polmadie Depot, and typically welcomes 17 trains per day.

More than 1,000 guests were welcomed to the site this past Sunday (12 October) to witness a lineup of over 20 rail vehicles that have been based at the depot over the last 150 years, including Caledonian Railway No. 419, a Class 93 (No. 93006), three Class 08s (Nos. 08451, 08696 and 08954) and a Class 334 (No. 334034) .

Visitors arrived on a mixture of both heritage and modern shuttle buses from Glasgow Central – all of which were provided by Glasgow Vintage Vehicle Trust, Scottish Vintage Bus Museum and McGill’s.

Rob Whyte, Managing Director UK and Ireland at Alstom, said:

Polmadie stands as more than a depot – it represents a beacon of engineering excellence and a vital pillar in Scotland’s rich railway heritage. For 150 years, this site has played a crucial role in keeping the country moving, and we’re incredibly proud of the dedicated teams who continue that tradition today.

Opening our doors to the public for the first time in a generation is not only a celebration of our past, but a powerful reminder of the innovation and talent that will drive the future of sustainable rail in the UK. It’s a privilege to honour this milestone with the community, and showcase the people and technology that make Polmadie so special.

The event itself saw Caledonian Sleeper open a number of its Mark 5 coaches to showcase its ‘hotel on wheels’ layout, with Alstom also offering several family-friendly, hands-on activities.

A miniature railway was opened by the Paisley Society of Model Engineers, and visitors were also offered the opportunity to board Railway 200’s unique exhibition train, which was stationed at platform 15 in Glasgow Central on both Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 October.

The day before the event saw Polmadie welcome its first-ever passenger train. Hauled by two RailAdventure Class 43 locomotives with Derby-built March 3 coaches from 125 Group, the special charter departed from Alstom’s Derby Lane site and travelled directly to Polmadie – also marking the first time a passenger train has departed the Derby site.

Finally, the event saw GB Railfreight’s Class 92 No. 92023 given the name Polmadie 150 1875 – 2025 in recognition of the site’s milestone birthday.

All profits from the event will be split between Glasgow Traincare Centre’s two chosen charities – Beatson Cancer Charity and the Railway Children’s Glasgow Project.

#END News
source: railway-news
Send Comment