Bombardier will test and commission its Crossrail trains at a new facility in Derby, which formally opened on Friday.

The 10,000 square metre site has been built to support the production of 66 new Aventra nine-car class 345 EMUs.

The facility, built by Balfour Beatty, cost £12m and features four 250m train roads for testing the trains.

Richard Hunter, managing director of Bombardier Transportation UK, said: “This new £12 million facility is one of the biggest investments in the history of our Derby site and ‘V’ Shop (as the finished test facility will be known) will be a fundamental part of both our current projects and future train builds, enhancing our ability to deliver all the stages of a new train product from a single UK site.

“It increases our capacity to deliver high volume orders within short timescales, ensuring we meet the future requirements of the UK market.”

Patrick McLoughlin MP, the transport secretary, who opened the facility, said: “I am delighted to open this new testing and commissioning facility in Derby, which will ensure passengers benefit from cutting edge trains with improved capacity and comfort.”