Readers’ Platform
Heaton recalled
I WAS very interested to read the article about Heaton Depot in the November 2025 issue, as I worked there as a shift production manager in the early 1980s.
While it’s good the depot still exists and appears to be thriving, its workload today is certainly very different. The article comments that the current depot was built for the new HSTs introduced to the East Coast Main Line and the principle of operation was that HSTs would arrive on the reception lines, then proceed to the toilet flushing apron at the north end before reversing and driving into the depot.
Unfortunately, the depot was planned on the basis that HSTs would be fixed formation trains with the power cars remaining with the same set of trailer cars for maintenance using the heavy maintenance road (No. 5).