New railway test loop aims to speed train upgrades

A new test facility has been opened in Warwickshire by one of the firms which owns the UK's trains and leases them to operating companies.

Porterbrook's new test track at its base in Long Marston is the UK's first continuous loop, at over two miles (3.5km) in length.

The firm's role in financing rolling stock will remain as the system is gradually brought back into public ownership under Great British Railways.

Many of the UK's operators are still using stock built during the days of British Rail, and the firm said the facility would enable more testing to take place in the UK, speeding up deployment of new stock.

Chief executive Mary Grant said: "This test track is the result of around £75m worth of investment into the Long Marston site."

She added the line would allow trains to "rack up the mileage" before being used on public services.

"The line has a top speed of around 50mph which is the type of speed where faults can develop, meaning they can be rectified before heading out onto the mainline."

Construction on the new test track began in January 2025, and the site is now open for business.

Grant added it had been built with the environment in mind: "No earth has been removed from this site during the build and there are plans for a new solar farm to power the overhead electrification."

The maiden run on the loop involved a prototype hydrogen train which Poterbrook has developed. Its driver Robert Buchanan also helped design the test track.

"It's really unusual to bring a driver in on these types of developments. I had a little bit of a say on where the signals should go, and what we wanted to do with the railway."

He added that the track allowed proper testing without disrupting passengers, using mainline standard signals and overhead electrification.

Until now, most new trains built for the UK have had to be tested abroad, slowing the introduction of a new fleet.

Ageing rolling stock is a problem felt across the UK but the picture is improving.

Chiltern Railways topped the list of the oldest trains in the UK, in data from 2025.

However, since then it has taken delivery of new trains which entered public service earlier this year.

Grant said that by investing in Long Marston, Porterbrook is getting ready for future rolling stock orders.

"This is what this test track is about, supporting the industry and creating a more reliable service.

"What we are creating is a fully integrated railway with state-of-the-art training facilities, and further provision for new rolling stock as and when it's required."

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