A new £12m bogie drop has been installed at Canton rail depot in Cardiff to help maintain and service Transport for Wales’s fleet of new trains.
The new facility — funded by the Welsh Government through Transport for Wales — allows engineers to remove, repair and replace the wheel and underframe equipment beneath train carriages more safely and efficiently than before.
Trains that previously had to be sent elsewhere on the network for specialist maintenance can now be serviced on site, meaning they return to service faster.
The announcement was made by Deputy Minister for Transport Mark Hooper during a visit to the site. He said:
“This investment at Canton is part of our commitment to building a modern, resilient transport network — one that performs well for the passengers who depend on it every day.
“By maintaining more of our fleet locally and efficiently, we can get trains back into service faster and continue to improve reliability and punctuality for passengers across the region.”
Canton depot maintains trains serving communities across South Wales. The facility will be particularly important during autumn, when leaves on the line and adverse weather increase the demand for swift maintenance turnarounds.
This investment reflects the Welsh Government’s policy choice to prioritise in-house, Welsh-based rail maintenance capacity, reducing reliance on facilities outside Wales and building long-term resilience into the network.
Dan Tipper Chief Infrastructure officer at Transport for Wales said:
“We are delighted to see the new bogie drop facility officially in service at our Canton depot. This £12 million investment is a fantastic milestone in our journey to transform rail services across Wales and the Borders.
“By bringing this specialist maintenance capability in-house, we can significantly speed up repair times, improve daily reliability, and ensure we keep more trains running for our customers and the communities we serve.”
