Porterbrook opens electrified test track at Long Marston

Porterbrook has officially opened its Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre in Warwickshire with a new 3.5 km electrified test loop; Rail Minister Lord Hendy cut the ribbon. The 55-hectare site was formerly a military depot and railway works; Porterbrook took it over most recently after the privatisation of British Rail and has already invested GBP 75 million (EUR 87 million) in modernising it. The company cites more than GBP 1 billion of investment over the past five years in trains, fleet renewal, propulsion innovation and rail infrastructure, including GBP 14 million for the hydrogen train HydroFLEX. The opening day is not given, so the date is that of the report (LOK Report, 8 Jun 2026). Update (8 June 2026): The electrified test track at Long Marston has officially opened, with rail minister Lord Hendy cutting the ribbon. (LOK Report, 8 June 2026)