A new train care facility at Northampton, operated by Siemens Transportation Systems (STS) is one of four such depots using Holophane luminaires for interior and exterior lighting. In all four cases, energy efficiency, precise control of light distribution and extensive design support were critical in the success of the projects.Construction of the Northampton facility in the King's Heath area of the town followed the award to STS of a service contract for 30 multiple-unit Desiro Class 350 trains by train operator National Express Group. The new facility features five dedicated maintenance roads and is able to hold up to 25 trains.
Consulting engineers Foreman Roberts specified Holophane Prismatron high-bay luminaires for the interior, linked to a sophisticated lighting management system. This enables the lighting to be controlled in zones in relation to occupancy and natural daylight levels. Thanks to the innovative HID electronic ballast incorporated in Prismatron luminaires, the metal halide light sources can be dimmed in relation to natural daylight so that design illuminances are maintained in areas where work is being carried out.
Each of the five maintenance roads can be controlled independently so that the lighting is only used when required. In this way STS is able to optimise its energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions throughout the life of the facility.
The design of the Prismatron luminaires also contributes to efficiency through the use of highly efficient reflectors that enable the required illuminance levels to be maintained with the minimum number of luminaires.
Exterior lighting was particularly challenging for the Northampton project, as the facility is close to residential areas and it was important to minimise light spillage to adjacent areas as well as upward light pollution. The precise optics of Holophane's High Mast luminaires proved ideal for this, offering a choice of symmetric, asymmetric, long and narrow distributions to enable the light distribution to be very finely tuned. Additional exterior lighting is provided by a range of additional Holophane fittings.
The luminaires, however, were only part of the equation in arriving at an optimum lighting solution, as Clive Price-Jones of Foreman Roberts explains: "The fact that Holophane provided high quality, competitively priced luminaires was important, of course, but the skills of their design department were equally important. In particular, they are able to provide very accurate calculations for horizontal and vertical illuminances and this was critical in ensuring the lighting does not impinge onto the adjacent residential areas".
The Northampton facility exemplifies the principles that were also applied to other STS train care facilities at Ardwick in Manchester and York, both of which maintain the Desiro Class 185 diesel trains operated by First TransPennine Express.
