Plans for £100m Siemens Mobility factory approved

The new facility is expected to open by 2026

Plans to build a new £100m Siemens Mobility digital engineering facility have been given the go ahead.

Approved by Wiltshire Council, the new rail equipment manufacturing, research and development centre will be built at Southpoint Business Park, near Chippenham.

The new centre, which will include offices, production facilities, laboratories, warehousing and a test-track bed for static testing of signalling infrastructure equipment, was announced in March.

Siemens Mobility, which is currently based at Langley Park in the town, said the move will "further cement Siemens' connection with Chippenham for years to come".

Siemens will replace its current Chippenham factory with a state-of-the-art facility

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, following a consultation with the town council and stakeholders the company had revised its initial plans due to concerns, including lowering the speed limit near to the new site to promote cycling.

Chippenham Town Council was supportive of the revised plans and the latest Wiltshire Council case officer report noted, from an economic perspective, the factory would be “welcome”.

It stated: “This site is the UK’s sole dedicated signalling and control facility and results in highly skilled, well-paid jobs that brings benefits to the local economy, along with giving other local businesses the opportunity to supply goods and services."

Siemens’ application revealed a study into its current site at Langley Park found the location was no longer “economically viable”.

“The study determined future expansion plans would not be possible; or that Siemens’ sustainability aspirations cannot be met," it said.

The current Siemens factory in Chippenham, which has played a pivotal role in major project such as the Elizabeth Line and the Birmingham New Street Station redevelopment, was founded by signalling contractor Evans O'Donnell in 1897.

The site was later acquired by the Westinghouse Brake and Signalling Company, before becoming part of Siemens network in 2013.

The new facility is expected to open by 2026.