3 minute read - 27th February 2025
Siemens Mobility switches on solar panels at Goole Rail Village
Train manufacturer Siemens Mobility is leading the way to a greener future for the rail industry with a comprehensive range of low-carbon investments at its UK centre of excellence. The Siemens Mobility Rail Village in Goole, East Yorkshire, now has minimal operational emissions, with green energy generation, clean heating systems and sustainable transport policies all significantly reducing the site’s carbon footprint.
New Piccadilly line trains for Transport for London are being assembled at the Goole site before they start to enter service by the end of this year. Siemens Mobility also plans to build all future mainline trains for the UK at Goole, including new battery bi-mode trains that it has calculated could save Britain’s railways £3.5bn and 12 million tonnes of CO2 over 35 years.
Siemens Mobility’s investment of around £240m in the Goole Rail Village features manufacturing, components, logistics, innovation and office facilities, establishing it as a centre of excellence for rail technology in the UK. It has installed 1,700 solar panels across the three manufacturing buildings at the Goole site, which have now been connected and are capable of generating up to 1MW of clean energy – the equivalent of powering more than 150 homes. Sited on the trucking, final assembly and commissioning buildings, the £2m solar array covers almost 20,000 sq m (215,000 sq ft) of roof space and produces sufficient energy to meet the site’s needs.
Train manufacturer Siemens Mobility has installed 1,700 solar panels across the three manufacturing buildings at its UK centre of excellence in Goole / Picture: Clay 10
Finbarr Dowling, director of localisation for Siemens Mobility, said: “Our vision from the very outset was for the Goole Rail Village to be net zero in its operations by 2030, with this state-of-the-art facility playing a central part in our mission to transform rail travel and transport in the UK. This strategic focus has informed the development of a state-of-the-art rail cluster that leads the way in decarbonisation for the industry, with facilities that are streets ahead of many across the sector.
“It also underpins everything we do at Goole, ensuring that our buildings, energy generation and consumption, how we work, and travel to and from the site all minimise our carbon impact. That is hugely important for us, as a business committed to the highest sustainability standards, as well as to our customers, stakeholders and partners as they strive for excellence in environmental responsibility.”
Green energy produced by the panels during the site’s non-production hours, such as during weekends, is exported back to the grid, while any additional energy required during peak times is exclusively from renewable sources. Siemens Mobility has set ambitious targets to reduce emissions in its own operations by 55% by 2025 and 90% by 2030, with the production of its own renewable energy at sites such as Goole playing a vital part in that transition.
Construction project manager David Harris with the solar array, part of a comprehensive range of low-carbon investments / Picture: Siemens Mobility
The solar array complements other sustainability measures that are contributing to the Goole site’s low-carbon credentials. Siemens Mobility has also invested £2m to install more than 40 localised air source heat pumps to heat the production facilities at Goole, an initiative projected to cut its carbon output by 980 tonnes per year, an 88% reduction. The business is also electrifying its vehicle fleet and rolling out EV charging points across the Goole site to ultimately install around 70 chargers, one for every 10 parking spaces.
The latest phase of the Rail Village will see the addition of a Bogie Assembly and Service Centre, representing an additional investment of up to £40m. This brings Siemens Mobility’s overall investment up to £240m, with up to 1,000 new jobs at the site and around 1,700 supply chain opportunities.
David Harris, construction project manager, Siemens Mobility, added: “Our carbon reduction strategy for the Goole Rail Village has been implemented over a number of years. We’ve considered how best to minimise our carbon footprint at every stage, including throughout the development and construction phases. With the rail manufacturing facility now operational, we’re seeing the full benefits of building sustainability into the project from day one.”
