The Global Centre for Rail Excellence (GCRE) has agreed a deal with Spanish train manufacturer CAF for it to provide a range of services to the centre in South Wales.
Amongst the services in the agreement are rolling stock and technology testing as well as digital signalling development and other product innovations.
The CAF team recently visited the centre, which was established in 2021, and included the CAF UK director, Richard Garner and CAF’s commercial director, Julen Barrutia who took a tour of the 700-hectare site.
GCRE, which is based at Nant Helen opencast site near Swansea has been funded in part by the Welsh government with a £50 million pound investment as well as further backing from the UK government as it aims to establish itself as a major new research, testing and development centre. The location is key for CAF as it has a production base 50 miles away in Newport.
The deal will see GCRE support CAF with its rolling stock and digital signals testing. The manufacturer was recently announced as the supplier of ten long-distance tri-mode trains for London North-Eastern Railway (LNER) to be used on the East Coast mainline. The partnership will also allow CAF to use the GCRE facility to undertake fleet maintenance as well as staff training and development.
GCRE Ltd chief executive Simon Jones said: “CAF are one of the major names in global rail and its fantastic to develop this partnership at our new facility in South Wales.
“The facilities and services we will have available at the Global Centre of Rail Excellence site will support the development of CAFs next generation rolling stock and the innovative new traction technologies they are working on.”
Jones’ comments were echoed by Barrutia who said: “We have worked with GCRE since its inception and formalising our relationship is the natural next step. GCRE will be a unique facility and we are fortunate to have it so close to our manufacturing facility in Newport.
“We look forward to collaborating with GCRE on research and development programmes and growing the rail industry in Wales.”
@rwilcockrail
Comment as guest
Comments
No comments have been made yet.