Siemens has begun work on its new £100 million centre in Wiltshire by staging a ground-breaking ceremony.

Rail minister Lord Hendy joined members of Siemens Mobility’s leadership team, Chippenham MP Sarah Gibson, past employees and members of the local community to celebrate the occasion.

Chippenham was the base for Westinghouse Signalling for many years, which was bought from Invensys by Siemens in 2013.

The new centre will employ about 800 people working on the next generation of conventional, digital signalling and control systems for British and international markets.

Rob Morris is joint CEO and managing director for Rail Infrastructure and Software in the UK and Ireland.

He said: ‘Breaking ground on our new Chippenham facility marks a significant milestone for Siemens Mobility and the wider UK rail industry. This investment reinforces our commitment to driving innovation in rail technology and to transform rail travel and transport for passengers and freight across the UK. It was particularly special to welcome past employees and local school children, who represent both our proud heritage and the future of our industry.’

Peter, Lord Hendy said: ‘This £100 million investment will bring a huge amount of opportunity with it. Current and future rail projects will benefit from better signalling systems, modernising our infrastructure and meaning better services for millions of passengers.

‘More than 800 people will have a job at this site, giving people the opportunity to build a life here in Chippenham and have a career in the railway industry – which I can say from experience is very rewarding. I look forward to seeing this investment create jobs, boost business, and bolster Wiltshire’s potential.’

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