£10.5m Holyhead wheel lathe boosts Welsh rail reliability and creates new jobs
£10.5m Holyhead wheel lathe boosts Welsh rail reliability and creates new jobs
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Rail reliability across Wales is set to improve with the opening of a new £10.5 million wheel lathe facility in Holyhead, part of the Welsh Government’s Network North Wales initiative.
The automatic lathe, a key maintenance tool that repairs worn or damaged train wheels, will mean Transport for Wales (TfW) trains in the north no longer need to travel to the existing facility in Canton, Cardiff. This will allow the entire fleet to be serviced faster and more efficiently.
Completed on time ahead of the busy autumn season, when falling leaves make wheel maintenance vital, the site will operate seven days a week and create eight new jobs in Holyhead.
Ken Skates, Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales, said: “It’s great to see our new state-of-the-art wheel lathe facility in Holyhead open and ready for business. This multi-million-pound investment is the latest milestone in Network North Wales’ vision for a better public transport system.
“Our new facility will operate 7 days a week, significantly reducing the turnaround times for trains to be back up and running and making sure people can get where they’re going with fewer disruptions. I’m really pleased that this investment will bring eight new jobs to Holyhead and help unlock economic development across North Wales.”
Ryan Williams, Engineering Director at TfW, said: “This new facility is a major step forward in boosting the availability of our fleet of trains, especially as we head into the tougher Autumn and Winter months… It’s also a key milestone in making operations more efficient across North Wales.”
Alasdair MacDonald, Operational Director for Balfour Beatty, added: “The Holyhead Wheel Lathe marks a significant milestone… supporting smoother journeys, reduced delays, and a more resilient rail network for the region.”
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