A MULTI-MILLION pound maintenance contract awarded by Transport for London is set to provide a boost for a factory in Poole.

Engineering giant Siemens, which has a factory at Sopers Lane, won two of the five new contracts available, totalling around £317m, to maintain traffic control equipment in the capital.

These will be serviced by a new London depot but will receive logistical support from Poole, with all design and manufacturing work taking place there.

The two contracts awarded to Siemens represent an increase of more than double the number of sites currently being maintained by the company and more than one third of all TfL traffic control sites across the capital.

Tom MacMorran, sales and marketing director at Siemens, said: “By upgrading a number of signalised junctions to the latest, energy-saving technology and continuing the roll-out of energy across London, the new contracts will deliver significant cost savings to TfL.” Dana Skelley, director of asset management at TfL, said: “London is world-leading when it comes to traffic signals management and our new contracts will allow us to remain at the cutting edge of traffic control technology. We have a range of works planned to improve traffic signals across London and we look forward to working hard with our partners to implement them.”

The contracts also include new schemes for the replacement and upgrade of 30 signalised junctions at Tottenham Court Road, the replacement and upgrade of 10 signalised junctions at Kings Cross and Bishopsgate, Brent Cross regeneration and a cycle super highway.