It is one of the largest train depots in the United Kingdom and can hold 179 carriages at any one time.

[3] Erected in 1842 by the Manchester and Birmingham Railway, the depot consisted of workshops, a carriage shed and the first engine shed; this included a 12-stall polygon, or roundhouse, about 130ft in diameter.

[5] A group of Class 86 locomotives were allocated here in the 1990s and early 2000s to operate Virgin Cross Country's electric services.

The depot is used currently by TransPennine Express, Northern Trains, Avanti West Coast and CrossCountry.

Twelve sets arrive at the facility each evening to undergo maintenance before being released the following evening, with a further three sets being stabled for periodic maintenance exams or heavy overhaul.