Ryde depot is a railway traction maintenance depot

Traction maintenance depot

In the United Kingdom, a traction maintenance depot, or TMD, is a railway depot where locomotives are serviced and maintained. A traction and rolling stock maintenance depot, or T&RSMD, is a maintenance depot where locomotives, multiple units and rolling stock are serviced and maintained. Each rail...

, situated in Ryde

Ryde

Ryde is a British seaside town, civil parish and the most populous town and urban area on the Isle of Wight, with a population of approximately 30,000. It is situated on the north-east coast. The town grew in size as a seaside resort following the joining of the villages of Upper Ryde and Lower...

, Isle of Wight

Isle of Wight

The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...

, to the east of Ryde St John's Road railway station

Ryde St John's Road railway station

Ryde St John's Road is a railway station on the Island Line, and serves the town of Ryde, Isle of Wight. The station is south of Ryde Pier Head—the Island Line's northern terminus. When the station opened in 1864, it was known as Ryde railway station, as it was the northern terminus of the...

. The depot is operated by Island Line Trains, and is allocated Island Line Trains' fleet of British Rail Class 483

British Rail Class 483

The British Rail Class 483 electrical multiple units were originally built as 1938 tube stock units for London Underground. They were extensively refurbished between 1989 and 1992 by Eastleigh Works, for use on services on the Isle of Wight's Island Line. This was despite having already worked for...

s. The depot code is RY.

A stream runs alongside the railway line at this point, and it has flooded parts of the depot on several occasions. The flood in January 1994 damaged two cars of Class 483 stock, while in 1999 trains had to be moved away from the depot to prevent damage. In October 2000, the flooding was extensive and not only damaged four Class 483 units but also washed away ballast at nearby Smallbrook, meaning Island Line Trains had to suspend their services for several days.

Before the Island Line was electrified, Ryde depot was home to maintenance works for steam locomotives running on the island's rail network

Railways on the Isle of Wight

There once existed a 55½ mile network of railway lines on the Isle of Wight. They were opened by several companies between 1862 and 1901, and all but the 8½ mile-long Island Line closed between 1952 and 1966. A further 5½ miles have reopened as the Isle of Wight Steam Railway.- Early beginnings...

. Steam locos still running on the island are now maintained at the Isle of Wight Steam Railway

Isle of Wight Steam Railway

The Isle of Wight Steam Railway is a heritage railway on the Isle of Wight. The railway passes through 5½ miles of unspoiled countryside from to station, passing through the small village of Havenstreet, where the line has a station, headquarters and a depot...

's works at Havenstreet

Havenstreet railway station

Haven Street railway station opened in 1875 and was an intermediate stop on the Ryde and Newport Railway, Isle of Wight Central Railway, Southern Railway and British Rail-being renamed Havenstreet in 1958...

.