On Saturday 6 September, Alstom welcomed the first-ever passenger service to its modernisation facility in Widnes, Cheshire.

The UK Railtours charter – The Industria Ditat – visited the Alstom Transport Technology Centre as part of its tour around rare track on Britain’s railway network. As it travelled between Hertfordshire and North Wales, the tour stopped off at Alstom’s 13,000 m² facility.

The tour’s name, ‘Industria Ditat’, is a Latin phrase meaning ‘Industry Enriches’ and is the motto of Widnes.

The visiting train was topped and tailed by GB Railfreight locomotives 57303 and 60087. It arrived as 1Z15 at Widnes at around 10:30 am, and was welcomed by Mark McGrath and Tony Whitehead from Alstom’s Central Operations team.

It entered the facility onto the arrival/departure line and parked behind a unit that had been refurbished and was due to depart later in the day. The tour train stayed at the site for nearly an hour, which allowed passengers to look at and photograph the facility

1Z15 then left the site via Ditton Sidings to Ditton East Junction.

Alstom opened its large Widnes facility in 2017. Its recent work has included refurbishing Avanti West Coast’s Class 390 Pendolino trains, which began in 2021, and refurbishing South West Railway’s fleet of Class 458 trains, which was completed in December last year.

After stopping in Widnes, the Industria Ditat travelled to Glan Conwy Freight Depot via Llandudno Junction, and then returned to Watford Junction along the West Coast Main Line. The carriages on the train were a mixture of Mark 2 and Mark 3 heritage carriages and were provided by Eastern Rail Services.

“Welcoming our first-ever passenger service to Widnes was a proud moment for the entire team based here. The visit by UK Railtours not only showcased the scale and capability of our Transport Technology Centre, but it also celebrated the passion and heritage that drive our work every day.

“Seeing rail enthusiasts engage with our site from the train was a powerful reminder of how far we’ve come and the exciting journey ahead.”

John Clerk, Widnes Head of Operations and Parts at Alstom