Mayor of Doncaster officially opens Lucchini Unipart Rail's new facility in Warmsworth

Around 50 of LUR’s customers, suppliers, and industry contacts attended a launch event, which included the unveiling of a commemorative plaque by the Mayor and a guided tour of the new premises.

The new site doubles the size of LUR’s previous facility in Hexthorpe and strengthens the company’s long-term commitment to Doncaster and the South Yorkshire region.

The investment in Doncaster forms part of a £7.5 million dual-site expansion that also includes the relocation of LUR’s Manchester Wheelset Repair Facility, which was officially opened last week by Riccardo Pasinetti, Commercial Director of Lucchini RS Group in Italy and LUR Board Member.

LUR’s Doncaster site employs 90 people and is a specialist facility for the overhaul and refurbishment of bogies used in passenger, freight, and light rail vehicles. The move to the larger Warmsworth site will allow LUR to increase capacity, improve efficiency, and better serve the growing demands of the UK rail industry.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Mayor Ros Jones said: “I’m delighted to officially open Lucchini Unipart Rail’s new facility here in Doncaster. This investment represents a strong vote of confidence in our local economy and in Doncaster’s long-standing heritage in the rail industry. It’s fantastic to see businesses like LUR continuing to grow, create skilled jobs, and support UK manufacturing right here in South Yorkshire.”

The new Doncaster site is expected to increase monthly production capacity to 80 bogies, with additional investment in machinery and technology planned over the coming months.

Phil Chilton, Managing Director of LUR, added: “Opening our new Doncaster facility is a significant moment for LUR and a clear reflection of our commitment to supporting our customers with greater capacity and operational excellence. We are proud to be investing in Doncaster – a city with a proud rail legacy – and it was an honour to be joined by so many of our partners and the Mayor to celebrate this milestone.”

Now celebrating its 10th anniversary as a joint venture between Lucchini RS Group and Unipart, LUR employs 380 people across its Doncaster and Manchester operations, supplying wheelsets, gearboxes and bogies to the UK rail sector. The company’s expansion positions it to better respond to future market needs, improve customer service, and drive further innovation across its end-to-end offering.