Siemens has celebrated the official opening of its brand-new manufacturing and research facility in Chippenham, marking a 115 million EUR investment in UK rail infrastructure.
The opening of the new site, which is situated at SouthPoint Business Park, was attended by UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Secretary of State for Transport Heidi Alexander.
Now fully operational after ground was first broken in 2025, the facility will serve as a global centre of excellence for signalling and control systems, and replaces the neighbouring facility.
Heidi Alexander, UK Secretary of State for Transport, said:Siemens Mobility's new rail technology centre is a real boost for Chippenham and a vote of confidence in Britain's rail industry.
The digital signalling produced on site will help our railways become more reliable and safer, whilst strengthening our skills base by supporting hundreds of local jobs and apprenticeships.
First opened in 1897, the former Chippenham rail hub was established by Evans O’Donnell and later served as the headquarters of the Westinghouse Brake & Signalling Company. The site has delivered a slew of technology for iconic projects like London’s Elizabeth, Victoria, and Central lines, and the new site, which has been built to the BREEAM ‘Excellent’ standard, features energy-efficient offices and production areas designed to blend with their surroundings, including a 10% net increase in biodiversity through native planting.
The collaborative workspace is intended to enable Siemens to scale the production of advanced systems, such as computer-based interlockings and the European Train Control System (ETCS), placing Chippenham at the heart of the UK’s digital rail revolution.
To celebrate the opening of the new facility, Siemens hosted a hands-on STEM lesson for local pupils, which was broadcast to more than 1,000 children nationwide and delivered by British award-winning children’s presenter Maddie Moate.
