Plans unveiled for rail innovation centre in East Yorkshire

Plans have been revealed for a leading centre for research, development and innovation for the UK rail industry in Goole, East Yorkshire.

A planning application for the innovation hub has been submitted to East Riding of Yorkshire Council by leading Yorkshire property developer Wykeland Group, on behalf of Siemens Mobility Limited.

The centre is proposed to be built at the Goole 36 enterprise zone site, close to junction 36 of the M62 motorway, and is aimed at accelerating the adoption of technology within the rail industry.

The £6m building will be the first phase of an innovation cluster known as the Rail Accelerator and Innovation Solutions Hub for Enterprise (RaisE), which will complement a £200m rail manufacturing facility being developed by Siemens Mobility on a neighbouring site.

RaisE is being supported by a network of partners from the UK rail industry and higher education, with a key focus on providing research and development support.

The new application also indicates that further research and development facilities are expected to be established to the north of the first building on a five-acre site that forms part of a total of 104 acres that will accommodate the wider Siemens Mobility development.

Siemens Mobility has already secured outline planning permission from East Riding of Yorkshire Council for 80,000 sq m (860,000 sq ft) of manufacturing, commissioning, warehouse buildings and stabling sidings, as well as offices.

Siemens Mobility is currently finalising detailed plans for the manufacturing facilities, which are expected to be submitted to the council early this year. Pending approval for those plans, construction is expected to begin by early summer, with the first phase of manufacturing facilities scheduled to open in 2023.

Sambit Banerjee, managing director, rolling stock and customer services, for Siemens Mobility Limited, said: ‘We have been working closely and collaboratively with partners to bring these exciting proposals forward.

‘As well as accommodating support teams for our new rail manufacturing facilities, this building and other later related facilities will offer significant benefits to partners from industry and academia.’

‘This is the first phase of development of a cluster of facilities focused on innovation and research and development that will create a high-tech centre of excellence for the UK rail industry.

‘The objectives of RaisE are consistent with our ambitions to establish a world-class rail village at Goole, combining manufacturing facilities with digital-led innovation to drive technological advances across the rail network and industry.’

Photo Credit – Siemens Mobility