Maintenance depots for London’s Elizabeth Line

Old Oak Common, almost 5km west of Paddington Station, first opened as a rail depot in 1906. Part of the site has been redeveloped as a new maintenance facility for Elizabeth line trains.

At any one time, it will house and maintain up to 42 of the line’s 70 trains. In east London, additional train stabling has been created at the existing Ilford depot.

We produced the reference design for both depots and provided technical support to Crossrail Ltd throughout the detailed design and construction phases.

We modelled the depot’s operations to ensure trains will arrive, undergo maintenance, and depart within the limited time available in the timetable. Achieving this objective required a well-planned layout for plant and equipment, with room for future expansion.