Work starts on £8m business centre at Goole 'Rail Village'
The site will provide office space near a new £50m research base for Siemens
Work has started on a new £8.1m business centre in Goole at the site Siemens is setting up a factory producing the next generation of trains.
The Rail, accelerator and innovation solutions hub for Enterprise (RaisE) will provide 3,200 m² of commercial floor space, including workshops and a communal cafe at the Goole 36 Enterprise Zone.
The centre is being funded by East Riding of Yorkshire Council and is expected to be home to firms connected to the railway industry.
£50m is being invested into a new 'centre of excellence' for rail and research, developed as a collaboration between Siemens and the University of Birmingham.
A £200m train factory is under construction on the same site.
RaisE is expected to be finished this year or early next year, forming part of a 'Rail Village' bringing together manufacturing, research and other businesses related to the industry on the same site.
Paul Bell, from East Riding of Yorkshire Council, said:
"The council is absolutely delighted to see building work on this business centre and innovation hub start.
"We know that, once completed, it will stand proudly alongside Siemens Mobility's soon-to-be-built, state-of-the-art rail manufacturing facility, and will be another glowing example of how Goole is viewed as a flourishing economic area for investment and growth.
Sambit Banerjee, from Siemens Mobility, said:
"Our aim at Goole is to create a centre of excellence for the rail industry and to generate long-term skills and investment in the region, and the start of construction of RaisE is a real milestone in that journey.
"As part of the 'Rail Village', RaisE will be a great space for collaboration and it is fantastic to see it being supported by a network of partners from the UK rail industry and higher education - with a key focus on providing research and development support, particularly for start-ups and SMEs.
"Our team at Siemens Mobility are looking forward to moving into the top floor and working in the heart of innovation at Goole!"