LSG Upperby Depot Project Advances As Main Frame Goes Up

Work is continuing at Carlisle Upperby Depot, where the main structure of a new covered storage canopy has now been erected as part of the ongoing development of the former railway site.

The project relates to plans for a 140-metre-long canopy building at Carlisle Diesel Depot, Upperby, designed to provide sheltered storage for historic steam locomotives. The proposal was listed in public planning notices under application reference 25/0285, with the site identified as Carlisle Diesel Depot, Upperby, Carlisle.

The scheme has been associated with the former 12B Carriage Shed site, giving the historic railway location a renewed role in the storage and care of heritage traction. Covered accommodation is particularly important for older locomotives and rolling stock, as prolonged exposure to rain, frost and changing weather conditions can increase the risk of deterioration and corrosion over time.

Upperby has already returned to more active railway use in recent years, with Locomotive Services Limited reopening the Carlisle depot in 2023 as an additional maintenance site within the wider Locomotive Services Group operation. The new canopy adds another visible stage to that revival, strengthening the depot’s role as a northern base for heritage railway activity.

With the steelwork now standing, the project has moved from planning and groundwork into a far more noticeable phase. Once complete, the canopy should provide practical covered protection for historic locomotives while marking another step in the modern use of a Carlisle site with long-standing railway associations.

Image: Locomotive Services Group