Member Article

Doncaster rail firm Unipart creates 37 jobs after a grant from Sheffield LEP

Doncaster rail firm Unipart Rail is set to create 37 new jobs after a grant from Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).

Unipart Rail received a grant of £112,500 from the LEP’s Regional Growth Fund (RGF), towards a £750k investment.

Doncaster and the Sheffield City Region LEP are intending to build on the town’s reputation for engineering excellence and become a national centre of expertise for the UK rail industry and HS2.

Balby-based Unipart Rail provides a bogie overhaul service to companies from across the world.

Unipart Rail overhauls bogies (wheeled wagons) that have travelled between 500,000 and 1.2 million miles, by replacing their electrics, renewing brake system components and using heavy engineering skills such as welding.

As a result of the grant, the company has been able to expand its facilities and take on new contracts from European and Japanese industry giants such as Siemens and Hitachi.

Shaun Taylor, financial controller at Unipart Rail, said: “Our expertise is expanding to cover all bogie types, working to the exacting standards and engineering specifications laid down by the industry.

“Clearly, passenger and freight rail is highly safety-critical, so quality is of the upmost importance. Engineering integrity is at the centre of all work we carry out, which requires experienced, competent, engineering staff.

“I am delighted that this grant from the LEP has enabled us to access all the funding we need to take on new staff and grow our business.

“Originally, we thought we’d be able to recruit 32 new staff members, but we have in fact outperformed this original goal and have taken on 37 people, allowing us to expand our overhaul facilities.

“This is great news not just in terms of the additional jobs, but in light of what’s happening across Doncaster with the town becoming a future international leader in rail engineering. Unipart will have a really important role to play in the coming years.”

Mayor of Doncaster, Ros Jones, said: “With the National High Speed Rail College set to be the catalyst for further economic growth, Doncaster is cementing its position as the UK’s home of rail and providing local people with opportunities to build successful and rewarding careers in an expanding sector.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Clare Burnett .