Aylesbury Rail Depot, Buckinghamshire, UK

Project Overview

Aylesbury Depot is Chiltern Railways’ traction maintenance depot in Buckinghamshire, supporting the operator’s fleet and day-to-day train readiness. Depot teams carry out servicing and cleaning activities when trains are out of passenger service (often overnight, when time windows are tight and safe), so repeatable access matters. At Aylesbury, staff needed a practical way to get on and off rolling stock at the right points, without relying on unsafe workarounds.

The Access Challenge: Safety, Positioning, and Night Work

Before the project, there was no dedicated access on or off the rolling stock. Teams were effectively having to climb onto trains (sometimes while carrying equipment), creating unnecessary risk and inconsistency in how work was completed.

For Chiltern Railways, the critical requirements were clear:

• Safe access at night for routine servicing and cleaning activities
• A dependable anti-slip walking surface to reduce risk in depot conditions (including wet, dark, and time-pressured environments)
• Access platforms with the correct width and positioning to suit the train envelope and align with door locations.

This design, supply and installation was part of multiple DAPs completed for Chiltern Railways locations over a period of several months and is supported by other ongoing infrastructure projects.

A Bespoke GRP Driver Access Platform Solution

For this facility, Dura Composites delivered a bespoke GRP Driver Access Platform solution, designed around the depot layout and the operational reality of working alongside rolling stock.

Dura’s Driver Access Platforms are commonly used in rail depots to provide secure access for maintenance and repair tasks around trains and equipment. The Aylesbury solution was engineered to put safe access exactly where teams needed it, helping depot staff carry out their work with more confidence and control.

Selection was driven by Chiltern’s trust in the Dura solution, alongside the assurance of a single, accountable turnkey delivery: design, manufacture, and installation, backed by our warranty.

Built for Daily Use

Because depot access has to work first time, every time, the platform solution focused on:

• Repeatable, predictable access to reduce reliance on informal methods
• Anti-slip GRP walking surfaces suited to depot conditions
• A robust, low-maintenance structure aligned to routine depot operations

The result is a purpose-built access arrangement that supports safe working while improving the flow of overnight tasks, so teams can focus on doing the job, not working around avoidable constraints.

Depot teams need access they can rely on, especially overnight, when tasks are time-critical. At Aylesbury, we delivered a bespoke GRP Driver Access Platform solution positioned to the train doors, giving Chiltern Railways a safer, more consistent way for staff to carry out servicing and cleaning.

Tom Kemp

Operations Services Manager at Dura Composites

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