A new factory to manufacture trains and trams is to be built by Spanish rolling-stock company CAF at Newport in South Wales, creating up to 300 jobs.
The company is investing £30 million in the project (assisted by a reported £3 million grant from the Welsh government), and it says Newport was chosen because of its links to roads, rail and ports, as well as the “availability of local people with engineering skills”.
The new facility, on the site of the former Llanwern Steelworks, will be over 46,000m
2 and will employ 200 people when it opens in the autumn of next year, rising to 300 by 2019.
It is being designed so that CAF can build a range of vehicles, including diesel multiple units, electric multiple units, trams and high-speed trains.
CAF’s UK director, Richard Garner, said: “The factory will have the flexibility to allow us to respond to the exacting demands of both existing and new customers with the most complete offering of any rolling-stock
provider operating in the UK.”
CAF has already provided Spanish-built trains and trams to British networks, including trams for Edinburgh and Midland Metro, and it now has orders for 31 three-car and 12 four-car EMUs, plus 25 two-car and 30 three-car DMUs for the new Northern franchise.
In addition, it has orders for 12 five-car EMUs and 66 coaches for TransPennine Express, plus 75 coaches for Caledonian Sleeper.
It is planning to compete for further orders from Transport for London, High Speed 2 and several forthcoming franchises, including Southeastern and Wales & Borders.