A £20m scheme to upgrade an East Midlands Trains maintenance depot in Derby is set to end ahead of schedule.

Lincolnshire company C. Spencer is midway through upgrading the Etches Park depot. Two train maintenance sheds are being built to maintain the Meridian fleet and an engine shed is being upgraded.

The new buildings will contain stores, offices and staff facilities. An under frame wash – which cleans underneath the trains – is also being installed. Work on the depot, in Deadman's Lane, was due to be completed by early 2010.

Andy Pollard, senior contracts manager at Spencer, told a Transport iNet meeting they were set to finish by Christmas.

There will be an extra 25 to 30 staff at the Etches Park site when work is completed.

Currently, about 200 people work at the depot – 100 from East Midlands Trains and 100 from Litchurch Lane-based Bombardier, which carries out maintenance on behalf of the operator.