From Furnace to Fleet

With a history dating over a century, the railway wheel facility in Trafford Park, Greater Manchester, has exchanged hands over the years before being acquired by Lucchini UK from Adtranz in November 2000. The company transferred all Lucchini UK operations up to Manchester some two years later. In February 2015 the business merged with Unipart's wheelset and bogie division to become Lucchini Unipart Rail Limited. At the Manchester works is performed wheel set and gear box maintenance and overhauls whilst bogie business is handled at Doncaster.

LUR has an annual turnover of approximately £60 million, the joint venture employs more than 350 members of staff at its sites. Established with the goal of having complete control over the supply chain of the safety critical components that form a traction system, such as the wheel, axle, wheelset and bogie, from the manufacture of steel at Lucchini RS’ plant in Lovere, Italy, to the delivery of the bogie at the client’s depot, LUR believes it can deliver the best possible service - hence the strapline "From Furnace to Fleet".

At the time of my visit the works was overhauling wheelsets for Pendelino units and a range of locomotive and freight wagon axles. They have a large contract with VGT AV for freight wagon work.