Plans still underway for long term use of Scarborough's train depot
The 7-million pound facility on Seamer Road isn't currently being fully utilised as servicing is taking place at the train station instead
Long term plans are still being worked upon for the best use of Scarborough's train depot.
The facility on Seamer Road costed ÂŁ7 million but it is not being utilised properly at the moment.
TransPennine Express is currently having to service and maintain its locomotives at Scarborough train station instead, because in previous years there has been noise complaints from nearby residents about the maintenance of the Nova 3 trains.
Paul Staples, Fleet Director at the train company, said: "The depot's really important as a source of high grade technical employment and as a facility for the railway which is short of depots in the North of England and nationally. It was there to allow us to maintain our new Nova 3 trains to make the best and most efficient use of those trains, and allow them to provide us with a new and modern train service to the people and the communities around Scarborough.
"Talking to the residents who were our neighbours there, the noise of the Class 68 locomotives caused some serious concerns and distress for those residents. So we've had to move to this temporary arrangement where we do our work on the trains once they arrive at the station, we put them to bed at the station and then get them fired up in the morning just before they go off on their first service to avoid that overnight running at Scarborough's depot.
"At the moment, it's being used at a base for the staff who work there and what they do is they log on there, collect their materials and equipment, do the services they need to do at the train station and then take them back at the end of their shift. But it's a pretty expensive locker room so we also do some other things, we're currently storing some vehicles there during a modifications programme we're doing to improve the quality and capability of the vehicles.
"What we won't do is put the Class 68 locomotives the Nova 3 train back on the depot overnight. We cannot do that and we won't. So we're also looking at various long term schemes, and they can't be done quickly, to see if we can find effectively quieter trains so a new locomotive that might use electricity or batteries, or just a smaller or more heavily silenced engine for example or a revised train plan."