TALGO – Stakeholder and Press Conference – 9 October, Birmingham

TALGO FACTORY SHORTLIST ANNOUNCED: CHESTERFIELD – LEEDS – St. HELENS

POTENTIAL FOR 1,000 MANUFACTURING JOBS IN ENGLAND

TALGO today (9 October 2018) announced that three locations in England have been shortlisted for a potential factory site that could employ up to a thousand people.

TALGO is a leading specialised rolling stock engineering company mainly focused on designing, manufacturing and servicing technologically differentiated, fast, lightweight trains with industrial presence in 28 countries. These include Spain, Germany, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia and the United States.

TALGO is renowned worldwide for its innovation capacity, its unique technology and reliability.

TALGO is the rolling stock provider for the Haramain high speed railway line between La Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia and provider of the new AVRIL train to Spanish operator RENFE.

TALGO aims to enter the UK train market, through ‘true manufacturing’. Instead of assembling kits of parts from overseas, the company wants to source components from within the United Kingdom. This approach will grow the UK’s manufacturing capability, strengthen supply chains, create more jobs, and boost local economies./p>

The shortlist represents the latest phase in a search that has lasted eighteen months, crossed much of Britain, and seen very detailed discussions with land owners, development agencies, local authorities, research establishments, schools, colleges and universities.

There are three other shortlisted locations; one is in Wales and two are in Scotland.

All locations share great connectivity, would receive a major boost from job creation, and have the potential to supply people who can be skilled-up to meet the needs of building trains that can run at up to 235mph.

TALGO intends not only to build for the UK market, but also to serve emerging overseas markets, boosting UK exports.

Such is Talgo’s passion for a UK manufacturing facility, that Carlos de Palacio – President of Talgo (and grandson of the founder) – has undertaken many of the fact-finding missions that have resulted in the shortlist. He said:

The establishment of a manufacturing facility in the UK is a significant part of Talgo’s future strategy.

Talgo’s aim is to establish true manufacturing – rather than assembling from parts made elsewhere. This means that we will draw from materials and expertise across the UK.

This keeps more money in the UK economy, and creates more skilled long-term jobs.

Although there can only be one factory site, we have developed excellent relationships with all the countries, regions and areas that we have visited. We anticipate continuing these relationships to ensure that Talgo provides great opportunities across the UK.

A final decision on a factory site is anticipated in November 2018.