Wales has been selected as the location for a new Centre of Excellence for the manufacture of UK rolling stock.
This was published under the 2016 to 2021 administration of the Welsh Government
The £30m investment, with significant support from the Welsh Government, will create 300 highly skilled and well paid jobs.
More than 100 locations in the UK were considered for this major investment, with the Celtic Business Park in Newport chosen from one of 4 potential sites that were short listed.
Welcoming the news today, First Minister Carwyn Jones said:
“Today’s announcement is a major coup for Wales and a big vote of confidence in our manufacturing industry. We are, once again, competing and beating others on the world stage to secure significant investment to Wales.
“This £30m investment is a major economic boost that we hope will kick-start the growth of our rail sector and create hundreds of highly skilled, very well paid jobs.”
Economy Secretary Ken Skates said:
“This significant investment from CAF and Welsh Government will underpin the development of the rail sector in Wales and places us at the heart of an industry with massive growth potential.
“As well as creating 300 high calibre jobs, it also coincides with our major Welsh Government Metro rail investment in south east Wales, details of which will be unveiled over the coming weeks.”
Richard Garner, CAF’s UK Director, said:
“CAF is an established supplier to the UK market, and we now have solid economic basis for further increasing our footprint in the UK. The establishment of this facility will serve CAF’s long-term aspirations to dominate the UK market for many years to come.”
The Welsh Government is supporting the project, which will be the first centre of its type in Wales. The site will allow for significant future expansion, providing potential for further investment and employment in the Newport area.
The new facility will enable the company to assemble, test and commission new vehicles and have capacity to undertake future manufacturing projects as well as maintenance and servicing activities.