The depot occupies the site alongside Fratton railway station, with two of the sidings right next to Goldsmith Avenue.

The depot has a train shed with two pitted roads for maintenance of rolling stock.

The London Brighton and South Coast Railway and the London and South Western Railway jointly built a motive power depot at Fratton in 1891, replacing an earlier one at Portsmouth Town station.

This building was badly damaged by bombs during the Second World War but repaired in 1948.

[4] At around 01:30 on 5 August 2021 a Class 444 derailed during a shunting move, blocking access to the depot causing disruption to Great Western Railway, South Western Railway and Southern services.