Spanish rolling stock manufacturer Talgo has signed an agreement with Transport Scotland and Scottish Enterprise to set up a manufacturing base for Talgo UK at Longannet, Fife.
Talgo UK is currently bidding for rolling stock contracts in the UK, and this agreement is part of the arrangements the company is making to ensure that it will be ready to deliver them should the company be successful. It sets out each party’s commitment – to ensure that the proposed multi-million-pound factory at Longannet is prepared and delivered at an agreed time and to an agreed specification.
Talgo and Scottish Enterprise.
Specialising in designing, manufacturing and servicing technologically different, fast, lightweight trains, Talgo already has facilities in Germany, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Russia, the Middle East and the United States as well as in Spain.
Plans for the Longannet facility include ‘true manufacturing’ – Instead of assembling kits of parts from overseas, the company wants to source components from within the United Kingdom, emphasising that this approach will grow the UK’s manufacturing capability, strengthen supply chains, create more jobs, and boost local economies.
A key part of Talgo UK’s strategy is ‘knowledge transfer’ – building UK domestic capacity for research and development. An innovation hub is also planned for Chesterfield, which will act as a focal point for Talgo UK’s R&D programme, bringing together networks of engineering excellence and creating new opportunities throughout UK.
Talgo president Carlos de Palacio y Oriol said: “We are committed to Scotland in our bid process. Today’s milestone marks a new phase in an excellent relationship with ’Team Scotland’
“Now let’s get on with securing orders that will bring more jobs and true manufacturing of rolling stock back to Scotland.”
Paul Lewis, executive director of Scottish Enterprise, added: “This Framework agreement is another significant milestone in our work with Talgo, to achieve its ambition of establishing a world-class high value manufacturing facility at Longannet.
“Scottish Enterprise and our partners are incredibly excited by Talgo’s plans for Longannet, which would deliver 1,000 direct jobs and a host of supply chain opportunities for companies in Scotland.”
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