Construction of the new depot, which marks an investment of approximately £70 million from Hitachi Rail Europe, began in April 2014. The work on site will include the erection of an 11,000m² maintenance and storage facility and associated office and support buildings.

Once work is complete, the Doncaster Carr depot will service and maintain Hitachi Rail Europe’s fleet of Class 800 trains operating on the East Coast Main Line.

The 65 trains will run on the East Coast Main Line as part of the Department for Transport’s £5.7 billion Intercity Express Programme (IEP) from 2018.

Neal Stone, acting chief executive of the British Safety Council, congratulated VolkerFitzpatrick’s Doncaster Carr Depot on its success. “On behalf of the Trustees and staff of the British Safety Council we warmly congratulate VolkerFitzpatrick’s Doncaster Carr Depot and its employees on gaining an International Safety Award with merit for 2015.”

John Cox, managing director of the rail division at VolkerFitzpatrick, said:" We are delighted to receive this award in recognition of the hard work and commitment shown by our staff to health and safety and reaffirms our commitment to continuous improvement in this area."

The International Safety Awards, currently in their 57^th year, celebrate and promote the success of the winning organisations and their employees in maintaining a safe and healthy working environment for all. They are open to businesses, public and third sector bodies of all sizes and sectors.