Northern’s Allerton TrainCare Centre has officially launched its new £8.9 million wheel lathe, named ‘Tina’ in tribute to the late Tina Turner. The advanced lathe, now fully operational, significantly enhances the centre’s ability to reshape, balance, and repair train wheels while they remain on the vehicle. This innovation minimizes service disruptions and improves the efficiency of maintenance operations.
Partially funded by Network Rail, which contributed £6.8 million toward the lathe’s installation, the machine was brought in as part of a broader effort to modernize the Allerton Depot. The project, which began in September 2023, continues the depot’s long-standing history of wheel lathe use, dating back to the 1950s.
Clinton Ralphs, Network Rail’s North West Route Sponsor for the project, expressed his excitement about the lathe’s arrival. “It’s fantastic to see the new tandem wheel lathe now operational at Allerton Depot, significantly improving the efficiency of our wheel-turning process,” he said. “This joint venture with Northern has allowed us to revive a key aspect of Allerton Depot’s history, providing improved capacity, performance, and reliability for Northern. We are delighted to see this milestone realized.”
Engineers at the centre have already undergone training to operate the lathe, and regular service work is now underway.
Jack Commandeur, Engineering Director at Northern, highlighted the lathe’s benefits for the company. “Tina is a welcomed addition to our engineering toolkit. It allows us to repair wheels without removing them from the train, making the process far more efficient. The increased capacity for wheel lathing also reduces downtime, ensuring trains spend less time out of passenger service for maintenance,” he said.
The new lathe is expected to extend the lifespan of train wheels, reducing the costs associated with replacements. Commandeur also praised the successful collaboration that made the project a reality. “This has been a significant project requiring perseverance and cooperation across all teams. I’m thankful to the team at Network Rail, my colleagues here at Northern, and our suppliers for delivering this fantastic new capability,” he concluded.