Leeds Midland Road depot was opened in 2003 by London & North Western Railway (LNWR) as a maintenance facility to maintain the Freightliner Class 66 fleet under a ten-year contract.

[6] LNWR were contracted to maintain up to 30 class 66 locomotives that worked in the Yorkshire area at the site, with heavier maintenance being carried out by Electro-Motive.

[7] FML is a subsidiary of the Freightliner Group and was instituted when the number of locomotives and wagons the company leased or owned increased with an upsurge in traffic.

[16] With the downturn in tonnages of coal moved by railfreight in the United Kingdom,[17] several examples of Class 70 locomotives have been stored on the non-maintenance sidings that border the running lines to the south.

This resource draws upon a specific local labour market and therefore provides economic opportunities to those seeking skilled manual employment in the south of Leeds.