Planning approval for £200m rail manufacturing facility
Siemens Mobility’s plans to develop a £200m rail manufacturing factory in Goole have secured outline planning permission.
The business applied to East Riding of Yorkshire Council for the scheme earlier this year, setting out proposals to make and commission trains on a 104-acre site at Goole 36, near junction 36 of the M62.
The plans feature 80,000 sq m of manufacturing, commissioning, warehouse buildings and stabling sidings, as well as a four-storey, 5,000 sq m office building.
When Siemens Mobility applied for the factory, it explained it was intending to create up to 700 jobs and a further 250 during the construction period, with an additional 1,700 potential UK supply chain roles.
As well as the manufacturing facilities, the company’s UK rolling stock engineering and commissioning team will be based at the Goole site. The business also plans to locate its Digital Operations Centre on-site, to collect and analyse train-borne data for operators.
Responding to news of the approval, William Wilson, CEO for Siemens Mobility, said: “We are delighted to have received approval from East Riding of Yorkshire Council for our outline planning application to develop an industry-leading rail manufacturing facility in Goole.
“This consent will enable us to develop detailed plans which we will submit to the council later this year. Pending approval for those plans, we anticipate beginning construction on site in spring next year.
“The planning process is just one element of the Goole project, which is moving forward strongly. A key priority is our strategy to work with partners to develop the skills that will be required by our future workforce in Goole. This has also generated significant momentum and we are delighted with the support we are receiving from skills and training providers within the region, as well as across the rail industry.”
Councillor Richard Burton, leader of East Riding of Yorkshire Council, said: “The granting of outline planning permission for the new state-of-the-art factory to manufacture and commission trains is another milestone achieved in this game-changing development for the town of Goole.
“As well as creating skilled engineering and manufacturing roles, the multi-million-pound investment will benefit the construction industry and then the supply chain, once operational, creating and supporting hundreds of jobs.
“The significant economic benefits for Goole, the East Riding of Yorkshire, the wider region and indeed the country as a whole generated by this project should not be underestimated.
“The council is committed to supporting Siemens in whatever way it can during the development of the site, and is looking forward to construction starting next year, pending approval of the detailed plans.”
