RCA Construction leads the design of Northern Rail’s critical facility upgrades at Allerton Depot
In a move to significantly enhance regional rail maintenance capabilities, RCA Construction has been appointed to lead the design for the next phase of critical facility upgrades at the Allerton TrainCare Centre.
The project, commissioned by Northern Trains Limited, focuses on the "heavy maintenance" feasibility and design required to support the next generation of rolling stock. As the industry moves toward 2026 and beyond, the Allerton Depot—already a vital hub for the Class 331 electric fleet—is set to undergo substantial structural and technical modifications to ensure it remains a hub of engineering excellence.
The design phase led by RCA Construction aims to solve complex infrastructure challenges, specifically focusing on accommodating a high-level access platform as part of an electrical interlocking system. The works also include:
Installation of monorail crane to allow for heavy maintenance of HVAC and pantograph units of current and future fleet
Installation of low-level maintenance platform
Installation of a high-level anti-fall system
Installation of a lightweight removable handrail system to allow for ease of access while maintaining safety at all time
"Our appointment at Allerton Depot represents a key chapter in our commitment to the UK's rail infrastructure," said Paul Rawlings, Managing Director of RCA Construction. "The integration of our in-house Digital Twin strategy will play a pivotal role in the design, ensuring Northern Rail’s fleet is maintained to the highest safety and reliability standards."
A primary challenge of the Allerton upgrade is the requirement for the facility to remain fully operational during the design and subsequent construction phases. RCA Construction’s expertise in "live depot" environments will play a critical role in ensuring that the depot’s daily schedule of servicing up to 118 trains remains undisrupted.
In addition, RCA Construction is integrating their Digital Twin strategy. This allows for future-proofing of depot facility design and allows for real-time simulations of key depot operations. This in turn allows for RCA Construction to design-out the risks encompassed in the works and allows Northern Rail to visualise the final product and ensure that all depot requirements are met.
The feasibility and design phase is scheduled to run through the second quarter of 2026.
RCA Construction is proud to be reinforcing Allerton’s position as a cornerstone of the Northern Powerhouse Rail scheme. While the technical specifications outline the scope, the complexity of the works can only be fully appreciated through the fly-through visualisation provided below.
“RCA have been outstanding in their support for the high‑level access platform design—their responsiveness with stakeholders, commitment to collaborative solutions, and the clarity provided by their 3D design models have all been brilliant in helping us visualise and validate the design’s workability”
- Clint Ralphs, Programme Manager Infrastructure West, Northern Rail