Wiri Electric Train Depot Wiri depot
A maintenance and stabling facility for the new electric trains is now open at Wiri, south of Auckland. The purpose-built facility comprises a maintenance building, rail track sidings, stabling for 28 trains and a train wash and platform for cleaning. There is also a locally-operated points system so all train movements can be controlled on-site.
Project overview
- 4.4 hectare site
- 7650 sq m maintenance building
- Six kilometres of rail track sidings
- Seven maintenance berths
- Stabling for 28 trains
A site at the old Winstone Quarry in Wiri is being developed to become the maintenance and stabling facility.
The depot building comprises three distinct areas:
- The main maintenance hall, where servicing of the trains takes place;
- The ground floor, housing offices for the train supplier, Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF);
- The first floor, housing the Depot Control Office, the train operator, Veolia, and staff amenities.
The 7650 sq m building has seven maintenance berths and includes under floor lifts, overhead gantries and jacking systems to lift the body of the train up.
Location
The site is located next to the South-Western Expressway in Wiri and is bordered by Roscommon and Wiri Station Roads. Its proximity to the Main Trunk Northern Line makes it well suited for access purposes.
The Wiri maintenance and stabling facility is where all the maintenance on the electric trains will be carried out. There will be additional facilities for smaller numbers of the trains at Henderson, Parnell and Papakura.
Timeline
The earthworks to prepare the site started in January 2011. This involved filling an area approximately 580m long, 85m wide and 6-11 metres deep in places so that there was a flat site for construction.
What we do at the depot
Most of the maintenance activities for the new electric trains take place at the depot and the complex includes staff amenities. There are seven maintenance berths in the building, some of them electrified and some not.
Overhead gantries are provided to lift heavy equipment on and off the trains, and there are jacking systems to lift the body of the train up to remove the bogies (wheel chassis).
There is a wheel lathe and underfloor pits to enable easy access to the electric trains.
The picture to the right shows the foundation for one of six train jacks. These are the first permanent train jacks in NZ used to lift the trains for maintenance. Two jacks are needed per car - six for a three-car trainset). Until now only portable jacks have been used.
There is also an automatic train wash and covered platforms to facilitate cleaning of the inside of the vehicles.
Questions about the Wiri Depot
Why was the Wiri site chosen for the Depot?
After looking at all potential sites across Auckland the Wiri Station Road site was selected as the best option being large enough to house all the facilities required and adjacent to the railway as required for access purposes.
Is this is the only place the electric trains will be housed?
The Wiri Depot is where all the main maintenance on the electric trains will be carried out and there will be stabling capacity for up to 28 electric trains. Additional stabling will be provided at Henderson, Strand Junction and Papakura.
Who runs the depot?
The makers of the electric trains, Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF) have the contract to maintain the trains while train operator Transdev Auckland provides crews for the trains. They share the facility.