Thameslink's Three Bridges Depot Inaugurated

The inauguration celebrations took place on 15 October 2015. The new purpose-built Three Bridges depot, situated on the London to Brighton main line, some 30 km south of central London, is part of a 400 million EUR investment project by Siemens, this also involving the construction of another depot at Hornsey in the inner northern suburbs of the capital, on the East Coast Main Line. Hornsey depot is scheduled for completion in July 2016. Both depots are being provided essentially for the maintenance of the fleet of new Class 700 Desiro City Thameslink EMUs. The first photo shows the main maintenance hall. The train washing, equipment and underframe cleaning facilities are situated on the left, not visible in the photo, on the other side of the London to Brighton main line. The second photo was taken inside the principal maintenance hall, with Desiro City Thameslink EMUs 700107 and 700106, these being the only ones so far delivered to Britain. In the third photo (from left to right) can be seen Andy Pitt, the Executive Chairman of Cross-London Trains (XLT, owner of trains), the Rt. Hon. Patrick McLoughlin, the Secretary of State for Transport, Jochen Eickholt, Siemens Mobility Division's CEO, Juergen Maier, Siemens UK's new UK Chief Executive, and Charles Horton, the CEO of Govia Thameslink Railway. All are about to cut the ribbon to declare Three Bridges depot open for business.