Rolling Stock Stabling
Facilities
This factsheet outlines the emerging proposals for the rolling stock stabling
facilities required for the operation and maintenance of the Proposed Scheme. It
explains the proposed locations of these depots and their purpose.
Version 4.0
Last updated: September 2020
N61
1 Introduction
1.1.1 High Speed Two (HS2) is the Government’s proposal for a new, high speed
north-south railway. The proposal is being taken forward in phases. Phase One
will connect London with Birmingham and the West Midlands. Phase 2a will
extend the route to Crewe. The Western Leg of Phase 2b comprises an
extension of the network to Manchester and a connection to the West Coast
Main Line at Golborne, and is referred to as the Western Leg hybrid Bill. The
Eastern Leg of Phase 2b currently comprises an extension of the network from
the West Midlands through the East Midlands to Leeds.
1.1.2 HS2 Ltd is the non-departmental public body responsible for developing and
promoting these proposals. The company works to a Development Agreement
made with the Secretary of State for Transport.
1.1.3 The construction and operation of Phase One of HS2 is authorised by the High
Speed Rail (London – West Midlands) Act (2017). In July 2017, the Government
introduced a hybrid Bill to Parliament to seek powers for the construction and
operation of Phase 2a.
1.1.1 In February 2020, the Government announced its intention to draw up an
Integrated Rail Plan. This will recommend a way forward on scoping, phasing
and sequencing the delivery of HS2 Phase 2b, Northern Powerhouse Rail,
Midlands Rail Hub and other proposed rail investments across the north. At the
same time, the Government asked HS2 Ltd to prepare the Western Leg hybrid
Bill, provided it does not prejudge any recommendations or decisions that will
be taken in this plan, which will be published by the end of the year.
1.1.2 It is intended to deposit a Western Leg hybrid Bill seeking powers to construct
and operate this phase in Parliament in early 2022 or sooner if possible (the
Proposed Scheme). The work to produce the Bill will include an Environmental
Impact Assessment (EIA), the results of which will then be reported in an
Environmental Statement (ES). The ES would be submitted alongside the Bill
when it is introduced to Parliament. As was the case with Phase One and Phase
2a, when the Bill is introduced to Parliament the Secretary of State will also
publish draft Environmental Minimum Requirements (EMRs). The EMRs will set
out the environmental and sustainability commitments that will be observed in
the construction of the Proposed Scheme.
1.1.3 A series of information papers were produced for the Phase One and Phase 2a
hybrid Bills, explaining the commitments made in those Bills and EMRs. It is the
Secretary of State’s intention to follow a similar process for the Western Leg Bill.
These information papers will be used to provide information about the
Proposed Scheme itself, the powers contained in the Bill and how decisions on
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the Proposed Scheme have been reached. It is currently proposed that these
information papers for the Western Leg of Phase 2b will be published at the
time the Bill is introduced in Parliament.
1.1.4 The Secretary of State for Transport will be ‘the Promoter’ of the Western Leg
Bill. The Promoter will also eventually appoint a body responsible for delivering
the Proposed Scheme under the powers to be granted by the Bill. This body will
be known as the ‘nominated undertaker’. There may well be more than one
nominated undertaker. However, any and all nominated undertakers will be
bound by the obligations contained in the Bill, the policies established in the
Western Leg EMRs and any commitments provided in the Western Leg
information papers.
1.1.5 These Western Leg factsheets have been produced to provide information on
the emerging proposals for measures to manage the design process for the
Proposed Scheme and to control impacts which may arise from the construction
and operation of the Proposed Scheme. These measures may then be applied to
the Western Leg as commitments made through the eventual Bill, EMRs or
information papers.
2 Overview
2.1.1 This factsheet outlines the emerging proposals for the rolling stock stabling
facilities required for the operation and maintenance of the Proposed Scheme.
It explains the proposed locations of these facilities and their purpose.
2.1.2 Rolling stock stabling facilities are required as part of the Proposed Scheme in
order to support the efficient operation of the HS2 timetable and to maintain a
reliable train service.
3 Rolling Stock facilities in the
Western Leg hybrid Bill
3.1.1 There are different rolling stock facilities required across the Western Leg of HS2
and on the existing railway to support the efficient operation of the Proposed
Scheme. These facilities vary in size and the types of activity carried out at them.
The rolling stock stabling facilities on the Proposed Scheme would be:
1. Crewe North Rolling Stock Depot: Crewe North Rolling Stock Depot (RSD)
would be the main rolling stock stabling and maintenance facility on the
Western Leg of Phase 2b. It would have up to twenty-seven 400m long
sidings to stable up to 54 rolling stock units. The RSD would be
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approximately 65ha in size. The proposal to expand this site from the size
presented in the 2018 working draft Environmental Statement currently
forms part of the Western Leg Design Refinement Consultation;
2. Annandale Depot: the option of constructing a train stabling depot in
Scotland at Annandale off the West Coast Main Line is currently proposed as
part of the Western Leg Design Refinement Consultation. It is proposed that
this depot would be approximately 80 hectares in size, with fourteen 400m
sidings and stable up 28 units.
3. Stabling space on the conventional railway network: HS2 rolling stock
may also be stabled at strategic sites on the conventional railway to allow the
circulation of HS2 trains to be more efficient, with shorter empty coaching
stock movements to/from terminating stations and overnight stabling sites.
For example, it is currently proposed that a small number of rolling stock
units would be stabled at the existing Polmadie Depot near Glasgow to
support service start/end at Glasgow, Edinburgh and Carlisle. A limited
number of units may also be stabled at Carlisle station on the existing
railway overnight to support service start/end.
3.1.2 Alongside the facilities above, HS2 rolling stock will also be maintained at the
Washwood Heath RSD on the Phase One route (as authorised by the Phase One
Act).
3.1.3 It is proposed that there would be depots on the Western Leg of HS2 to support
the maintenance of HS2 infrastructure, such as track. For more information on
these facilities, please see the Phase 2b Western Leg Factsheet: Infrastructure
Maintenance Facilities.
4 Depot site requirements
4.1.1 The sites identified as potential rolling stock stabling on the Proposed Scheme
were identified through a process of sifting, and are subject to consultation on
their location.
4.1.2 In order to identify potentially suitable sites for the creation of a rolling stock
stabling facility, the key requirements HS2 Ltd has assessed include:
• a large, flat site;
• preferably a brownfield rather than a greenfield site;
• located as close as feasible to where HS2 services will terminate or begin
to minimise empty train movements;
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• suitable for 24-hour working;
• accessible to workforce and the local transport network.
4.1.3 A number of alternative sites were evaluated before the use of the Crewe North,
Annandale and Polmadie sites were proposed for rolling stock stabling. For
further information on the alternatives that were tested to Crewe North RSD,
please see the High Speed Two Phase 2b Crewe to Manchester West Midlands to
Leeds Route refinements - HS2 Ltd's advice to Government report (July 2017).
For further information on the alternatives that were tested to Annandale and
Polmadie, please see the HS2 Western Leg Design Refinement Consultation
(September 2020).
5 Rolling Stock Depot operations
5.1.1 Rolling Stock Depots would operate 24-hours a day, 7-days a week, and the
majority of the work would be undertaken at night. This is because the majority
of the HS2 rolling stock will be operational during the day, only returning to
stabling facilities for overnight stabling after the railway stopped being
operational each evening.
5.1.2 The works carried out to rolling stock at Crewe North RSD would be more
extensive than elsewhere on the Western Leg and would range from light
cleaning, to heavy duty maintenance. Facilities at Crewe North RSD would
include a maintenance shed to carry out light and heavy maintenance, cleaning
and an auxiliary maintenance shed to carry out other train maintenance
activities. Crewe North RSD would be where the majority of train drivers would
be based and would start and end their shifts.
5.1.3 The works carried out an Annandale would include overnight stabling, cleaning,
light servicing, inspection and maintenance to rolling stock and equipment
spares store.
5.1.4 At Polmadie Depot, rolling stock would be stabled overnight and some light
maintenance may also be carried out here, subject to the final fleet maintenance
strategy. To support the efficient start and end of operations in the Carlisle area,
trains will also be stabled at Carlisle station, where a reduced servicing regime
will take place. This would typically involve interior cleaning only.
6 Environmental impacts
6.1.1 We are currently developing the hybrid Bill for the Western Leg of Phase 2b, and
undertaking an EIA of the Proposed Scheme. Through this, we are reviewing the
potential impacts of depot operations and appropriate mitigation measures,
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which can be incorporated into the Proposed Scheme to reduce any potential
impacts.
7 More information
7.1.1 Further factsheets and details on the Proposed Scheme can be found at:
www.hs2.org.uk/phase2b
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