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Home Infrastructure Talgo on tour: 'true manufacturing' plan has tremendous support

Talgo on tour: ‘true manufacturing’ plan has tremendous support

Train maker, Talgo UK, has been showcasing its ‘all Britain’ strategy – designed to reinvigorate the UK’s supply chain and industrial base. Talgo is a leading specialised rolling stock engineering company mainly focused on designing, manufacturing and servicing technologically differentiated, fast, lightweight trains, with a presence in 44 countries.

Talgo UK recently established a Head Office in Chesterfield, and has ambitions for the whole of the UK. There will be an innovation centre in Chesterfield, and there is a planned major manufacturing plant at Longannet, in Scotland. The two sites will work together with the whole UK Supply-chain to ensure that the expertise and knowledge needed to build and export ‘state of the art’ trains will be embedded in the UK – and not directed from an overseas HQ.

Talgo UK has a philosophy of ‘true manufacturing’. Instead of assembling kits from overseas, the company intends to reinvigorate the UK supply-chain, and source from it wherever possible. This approach upskills workers, protects jobs, and keeps more money in the local and national economies of the UK.

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A key part of Talgo UK’s strategy is ‘knowledge transfer’ – building UK domestic capacity for Research and Development.  This involves working closely with education, suppliers, and policy-makers.

An important part of Talgo’s ‘All Britain’ strategy involves developing an ‘Innovation Centre’ – which will act as a focal point for Talgo UK’s Research and Development, bringing together networks of engineering and supply-chain excellence, and creating new opportunities throughout the British Isles.

The Talgo UK team has been on tour, with visits to The Scottish Parliament, Kincardine and Dundee. Each visit was designed to reach different stakeholders.

At Kincardine, close to the Longannet Factory site, local people – and potential employees – had the opportunity to drop in and meet the Talgo UK team, and to view one of Talgo’s high-speed carriages and the technology that makes Talgo trains unique.

At the Scottish Parliament, politicians and over 120 guests from education, community, commerce and the supply-chain got to learn more about how they could become involved in Talgo’s ‘True Manufacturing’ plan.

In Dundee. Talgo UK exhibited at MSIP (The Michelin Scotland Innovation Parc), and explained some of the environmental and technological benefits of Talgo trains, which typically can use one-third less energy than other very-high-speed-trains.

Shirley-Anne Somerville MSP for Dunfermline, and Cabinet Secretary for Social Security, said: “Talgo’s showcase in Kincardine was a fantastic success, and the perfect example of community engagement.

“Bringing together local stakeholders, residents and children from Tulliallan Primary School allowed the local community to share in Talgo’s vision, further demonstrating their commitment to this project.

“I was also delighted to host the reception at the Scottish Parliament with senior Talgo officials. This provided yet another platform for the vision to be shared with potential partners whilst further recognising the huge opportunity that is being presented for the regeneration of the Longannet site.

“I look forward to working closely with and supporting Talgo over the coming months as they aim to move closer to securing the go ahead for their train manufacturing facility. This will bring 1000s of highly skilled jobs to West Fife, which would be a massive economic boost for the area and for Scottish manufacturing.”

Fife Council Co-Leader, Cllr David Ross, said: “The Longannet site is nationally significant and critically important locally. Talgo UK’s plans build upon the work of the Longannet Taskforce, whose focus has been to support the wider regeneration of the area following the power station’s closure in 2016.

“This location, which has driven past industrial revolutions, will once again be a catalyst towards business activity that drives a renewed innovation-led economy.”

Fife Council Co-Leader, Cllr David Alexander, said: “Fife Council welcomes this latest step forward in creating employment and economic opportunities in Kincardine and beyond.

“Approximately 74 hectares of the site are available for investors into the Kingdom and will boost the economy within South and West Fife and across the wider region.

“Around 1,000 highly skilled jobs are expected to be created at Longannet. The Longannet site and its infrastructure connections will also give rise to significant opportunities across the wider area.”

Jon Veitch, Managing Director of Talgo UK, said: “We have seen huge endorsement – from all walks of life – of Talgo’s ‘all Britain’ strategy, and our plans to bring back ‘True Manufacturing’ to the UK.

“Talgo’s strategy of True Manufacturing’ – and not relying on brainpower or kits of parts from elsewhere – requires that innovation and Research and Development takes place in the host country.

“Before too long, I expect to see the next generation of Talgo’s products built in the UK, with technical knowledge and innovation being provided by a team headquartered in Chesterfield, and drawing on the knowledge and expertise of the whole UK.”

Photo credit: Talgo UK

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