Rail vehicle lifting and depot workshop handling.

Rail depot lifting is production-critical in a way few other sectors match. A synchronised column bank that goes down idles the depot; sliding an overhaul slot right by even a shift has downstream consequences for TOC rolling-stock availability. The equipment therefore needs to be not just capable, but predictable — reliable, documented, and straightforward to maintain inside a depot’s own team.

Where Somers equipment is specified

Somers Handling has delivered rail vehicle lifting and workshop handling equipment into UK rolling-stock depots for EMU overhaul work, bogie maintenance and associated workshop handling — covering both complete lifting bank replacements and individual column upgrades within existing depot layouts.

Typical project shapes:

• Six- or eight-column synchronised banks replacing ageing wired systems with wireless control, drop-in to existing foundations, phased across weekend downtime windows to preserve operational capability.
• Bogie rotators engineered to the customer’s specific rolling-stock bogie class, with rack-driven columns and motorised rotation.
• Pit-mounted scissor lifts for bogie and running-gear drops at existing inspection pits.
• Workshop handling support — jib cranes, monorails and bespoke handling aids for wheelset bays, traction-motor work areas and the rest of the depot footprint.

Engineering priorities

• Synchronisation reliability. Lifting a multi-car vehicle on six or eight columns demands synchronised motion within tight tolerances. Wireless-controlled systems give flexibility to the depot team and allow easier integration with mixed-fleet depots.
• Drop-in for existing depots. Greenfield rail-depot construction is rare; most rail equipment projects are phased into live, operational depots, so new equipment has to fit existing foundations, electrical supplies and pit layouts without major civils work.
• Rail-sector documentation. Rail customers expect engineering packs that reference BS EN 1493 for vehicle lifts, alongside the LOLER thorough-examination regime.
• Duty cycle over operational life. Depot equipment runs for decades — wear-part accessibility, structural longevity and control-system upgradeability all matter more than in shorter-life industrial equipment.

Complementary services

For rail-sector customers we offer modernisation and retrofit programmes where legacy lifting systems are retained but upgraded — control-system modernisation, structural refurbishment and integration of newer synchronisation and safety features into existing column installations. This often preserves the customer’s original capital investment while delivering current-best-practice reliability.