Heavy lifting specialist, Mechan, might work across the world, but the Sheffield-based manufacturer had to look no further than South Yorkshire to secure its latest order.

The rail depot equipment expert is to kit out a new train maintenance facility being constructed in Doncaster as part of the government’s flagship InterCity Express Programme (IEP).

Main contractor, VolkerFitzpatrick, has commissioned Mechan to supply a three road equipment drop, 40 lifting jacks with a 15t capacity and two bogie turntables for the depot it is building on behalf of train producer, Hitachi Rail.

This is Mechan’s fourth order connected with the department for transport initiative to introduce new high speed electric and bi-mode trains on the Great Western and East Coast mainlines. A set of 40 lifting jacks and an equipment drop with two bridges have already been fitted at the North Pole train maintenance centre in west London along with a further two standard equipment drops at the new Stoke Gifford train maintenance centre near Bristol.

The firm has also installed two bespoke traversers for Hitachi Rail’s Newton Aycliffe rail vehicle manufacturing facility. The County Durham-based facility is building trains for the IEP and will be using the traversers internally and externally to move vehicles between the railroads.

Richard Carr, Mechan’s managing director, said: "Although our business is global, we take pride in retaining a local supply chain and it is great to know our products will soon be playing a key role in the long term success of the region’s transport industry. Having established excellent working relationships with Hitachi Rail and VolkerFitzpatrick, we are pleased to add the Doncaster depot to our list of IEP contracts."