Derby Works - Recent History

Recent History

In 1964 British Railways established the British Rail Research Division, which reported directly to the British Railways Board (BRB). It was the first to move into the new Railway Technical Centre on London Road opposite the old LMS research building. followed by the BRB Department of Mechanical & Electrical Engineering (DM&EE).

In 1969 the workshops were turned into the BR subsidiary British Rail Engineering Limited (BREL) which also had its headquarters in the Railway Technical Centre.

In 1990 the closure of BREL Derby locomotive works was announced. The locomotive works was mostly demolished, part of the plant was used for bogie production by Bombardier Transportation (Bombardier Derby Pride Park); though identified as a primary production site by Bombardier in 2001, in 2004 it was announced that the bogie plant was to close due to overcapacity in the European rail industry.

The works site, along with the land formerly occupied by Chaddesden sidings and the gas works, was renamed "Pride Park", part of which is occupied by the Derby County Football Club's Pride Park Stadium.

After determined campaigning by heritage groups, the original North Midland roundhouse, with the original Midland Railway offices and the original Midland Counties workshop, was spared. (The Birmingham and Derby's workshops had been demolished around 1870.) Though Grade 2 listed, they became more and more derelict. There was talk for a while of Pete Waterman taking them over. However, in 2006 it was bought from the city council for £1 by Derby College, which plans to spend £36 million to restore it for use as a college campus, with grants from the Heritage Lottery Fund and the East Midlands Development Agency. The campus was due to open to students in September 2009.

Although the locomotive works is no more, railway work is carried on elsewhere in the city by a number of private companies. Moreover the Carriage Works has continued in production and, as of 2012 builds multiple units under its present owner Bombardier Transportation.