Introduction

This site contains detailed information about the structure of the Network Rail Maintenance Depots and Locations across the UK.

With Photographs, Maps and Related Information we are sure you will find our site a useful source of information for the Rail Industry.

Network Rail Routes

There are eight main route sections which split up the whole of the UK Rail Network. Within these routes there are separate maintenance depots that are responsible for delivering both strategic and daily maintenance operations in there own geographical area. The eight routes are Anglia, Kent, London North East, London North West, Scotland, Sussex, Wessex, and Western.

Maintenance Delivery Units

Within each Network Rail Route there are a number of Maintenance Delivery Units. The MDU’s often contain offices in which senior staff plan works and deliver projects on a daily basis.

The depots are home to many teams such as track, signalling, telecoms and property teams.

These separate teams often only work on one area of infrastructure maintenance. Some of the larger depots store vast amounts of materials from ballast to sleepers and rails.  These main depots are often located in the middle of the geographic area they have to cover.

Plant Depots

Some of the Network Rail depots do have a plant allocation but this is often limited to a small road rail vehicle or motorised track trolley. Railway contractors use specialist items of rail plant referred to as On Track Plant to maintain the railway infrastructure. The machines are operated by companies such as Balfour Beatty and Colas Rail and perform tasks such as tamping and lifting.

The On Track Plant machines are used across the network where needed, and often travel on the network during the day so they can be in the correct location for that nights work ahead.

Some machines such as stoneblowers and tampers are allocated to a particular Network Rail route, in which they work for the various Maintenance Delivery Units.

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