Visitor Information 2026

Porterbrook's Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre is one of the UK’s approved Test & Trials facilities, taken over in June 2021 by Porterbrook Mid Leasing Company. It has a long history dating back to its years as a Royal Engineers supply base in the Second World War. Decommis­sioned by the Ministry of Defence in the late 1990s it then became a privately owned site In 2005. Since, the site has seen significant renovation to facilities across the site, including the addition of high quality office and conference spaces, warm and tepid rolling stock storage, an Asset Management Facility with three pitted lanes, and a training centre. As of early 2026, the site will be see the UK's only continuous testing loop commense operations. The 3.5km loop will support the delivery of the next generation of electric and multi-mode fleets to the UK railway using first-of-a-kind power conversion technology for discontinuous electrification.

Porterbrook's Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre has a key strategic role to play in the UK rail sector. On its vast site, companies (not to mention the water voles, deer, buzzards, skylarks, owls, badg­ers and bats, amongst other co-tenants!) operate and contribute a huge amount to the sector. It also boasts a wealth of strategic partners, including top universities such as Birmingham, Coventry, and Warwick, each of which has played their part during this last decade.

The site at Porterbrook's Long Marston is the largest and most extensive rail storage facility in the UK and its customers read like a ‘Who’s Who’ of rolling stock ownership. It consists of some 20km (12 miles) of storage sidings and is connected to the national rail network at Honeybourne on the Worcester to London line – served by all the Freight Operating Companies (FOCs), taking advantage of 24/7 ac­cess. There is storage capacity for approximately 1000 items of rolling stock, and it also has 4ha (around ten acres) of open hard-standing based storage and approximately 2000m2 of covered workshops along with associated handling equip­ment and cranage. LMRIC is constantly looking to invest in new facilities and equipment to meet its many customers’ needs.