Arriva acquires train maintenance company LNWR

Leading European transport operator Arriva has acquired trainmaintenance company LNWR for £2.4 million, part of whichrepresents repayment of a shareholder loan, and the assumption ofapproximately £2 million of debt.

The business, which operates a modern train maintenance depot inCrewe, was founded in 1996 by music producer, entrepreneur and railenthusiast Pete Waterman. It is set to play a key role inmaintaining the trains which will provide increased services on theWest Coast Main Line (WCML) from this December.

The depot, which has grown from a former Victorian carriageshed, has seen £3 million of investment over the past 12months turning it into a leading servicing facility for modernelectric and diesel trains. It now services one of the most diversefleets of trains in the UK and is one of the largest train depotsand stabling facilities on the WCML.

LNWR’s managing director Mark Knowles will continue tolead the team of approximately 110 employees and the business willcontinue to trade as LNWR.

Bob Holland, managing director of Arriva’s UK Trainsdivision, said: “LNWR has grown into a specialist facilitycapable of competing with some of the largest internationalgroups. It has an impressive workforce and facility whichprovides high quality maintenance services every day to the UK railindustry.

“Going forward, we plan to build on LNWR’s work forBombardier, Siemens, Freightliner and Arriva TrainsWales. The assurance that being part of the Arrivagroup brings will help attract work from the rolling stock leasingcompanies and other large customers. We look forward towelcoming the LNWR team into the Arriva group and working with themto continue to deliver excellent train maintenanceservices.”

Mark Knowles, managing director of LNWR, said: “We haveassembled a great team at Crewe, we have invested in creating aversatile and skilled group of train maintenance professionals andtrained apprentices at a time when very few rail businesses wereprepared to make that commitment.

“Arriva is the final ingredient and I’m sure thatthe business can now look forward to continued growth andsuccess.”