CAF Confirms UK Assembly Plant

[fgwrich]

New and possibly unexpected development from CAF. Apologies if already covered.

CAF confirms UK assembly plant

http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/business/single-view/view/caf-confirms-uk-assembly-plant.html

15 Jul 2016

UK: Spanish rolling stock manufacturer CAF confirmed to Railway Gazette on July 14 that it is preparing to open a UK assembly plant to support the contracts it has won in recent months.

The company says it intends to establish facilities ‘to carry out rolling stock assembly and testing, as well as maintenance’. These will be supported by a new headquarters ‘at a strategic point on the Northern network’. CAF Rail UK currently has a base in Coventry, and has started recruiting technical and management personnel; it expects to announce details of the new facilities ‘in the coming months’.

Last year CAF signed a €200m contract to supply 75 coaches for Caledonian Sleeper services between London and Scotland, which are due for delivery in 2018. In January, the company signed a €740m deal with Eversholt Rail Group and Arriva Rail North to supply 43 Civity EMUs and 55 DMUs for the Northern franchise. This was followed in May by contracts from Eversholt and Beacon Rail to supply 12 EMUs and 66 push-pull coaches for FirstGroup’s TransPennine Express franchise.

The TPE deal includes a separate €310m agreement under which CAF will provide technical support and spare parts management until 2023. To this end, the company committed to establishing a dedicated Spares Supply & Management Logistics Centre to support train maintenance and servicing in various locations.

While the assembly plant is initially intended to deliver existing contracts, CAF says it is looking to win further orders to sustain the business in the longer term. The company was shortlisted in January for a contract to supply around 50 EMUs for the Merseyrail network in Liverpool, for which a preferred bidder is expected to be announced towards the end of this year.

CAF has been active in the UK market since the 1990s, when it built EMUs for Heathrow Express and West Yorkshire. In 2002 and 2008 it supplied DMUs for Translink in Northern Ireland under contracts which include 15 years of maintenance support. It has also built trams for Edinburgh and Birmingham, and currently has a workforce of around 200 employees across the country.

 

[Harbornite]

This is good news indeed. Ideally the facility would be built in the Midlands, but I expect it to be up north for obvious reasons.

 

[Clansman]

This is good news indeed. Ideally the facility would be built in the Midlands, but I expect it to be up north for obvious reasons.

Up North and possibly near a major port. Locations?

 

[westv]

Hull?

 

[DarloRich]

It could be anywhere - should we just throw out a few names and hope we hit the jackpot?

The HQ will be on the northern network and strategically placed so will be in Leeds or Manchester I should think. The manufacturing facility could be anywhere!

 

[Haydn1971]

The HQ will be on the northern network and strategically placed so will be in Leeds or Manchester I should think. The manufacturing facility could be anywhere!

Looking beyond the current franchise, the north would be excellent pickings - the current trend of cascading EMUs is likely to continue, but by playing the niche card, DMUs, Sleeper units and loco hauled, CAF has demonstrated that no order is too small and they will deliver to markets that the big boys don't like servicing. There are still many DMUs that will need replacing in the longer term where electrification isn't going to be cost effective in the medium term (15-30 years) so a new DMU product will be required until electrification can finally happen. Although I see wires as being the long term aim, there will of course be routes that remain independently powered, in the short to medium term as diesel, longer term as battery or other independent power source.

 

[ainsworth74]

There are plenty of threads to discuss Brexit implications and outcomes. This is not one of those threads and therefore some off-topic discussion has been deleted. If anyone wants to continue that discussion they are welcome to do so on another thread related to Brexit. Otherwise this thread should be used for this good news from CAF.

 

[smiffy9373]

Wouldn't surprise me if they've been given a heads up about some new rolling stock order by the new Anglia franchise owner whoever that is.

 

[Clansman]

The amount of future opportunities for additional stock from elsewhere in the coming years, The North or the Midlands would seem the most suitable. A few early contenders for new stock in the next 0-15 years:

Wales and Borders (Valley Lines)
Scotrail (Glasgow Low Level and Suburban)
Northern (Electrics to replace 319/321/322s)
East Midlands Trains (Potential replacements for 158s?)

 

[adrock1976]

A few locations in the north of England that I have thought of.

1) Bootle (Lancashire/Merseyside) - right on the edge of a coastline, which would be useful for an assembly plant. There is also a loop railway to move the assembled trains to their relevant homes, therefore it would not conflict with the Hunts Cross - Southport services or trains from Edge Hill - Liverpool Lime Street.

2) Reopen the former Hunslet factory at Leeds. This would be an ideal site as the assembled trains for local and regional services can simply roll off the assembly line and go to their relevant homes.

3) Reopen the former BREL works at York. This would allow future Intercity trains to be assembled and roll immediately into service. It is not too far away from Kingston upon Hull docks, however, it may be a challenge to thread the unassembled items from the port to York along a congested railway. Furthermore, this location has a lot of history, and it would be good to continue that in the future.

4) Set up an assembly plant in the Thornaby/Middlesbrough/the remnants of British Steel Redcar area. With the recent mothballing of the steelworks, this would help to ease the economic impact that was caused by that action.

Any thoughts?

 

[Clansman]

4) Set up an assembly plant in the Thornaby/Middlesbrough/the remnants of British Steel Redcar area. With the recent mothballing of the steelworks, this would help to ease the economic impact that was caused by that action.
Any thoughts?

Seems the most plausible out of your suggestions in my opinion. It would also have the potential to fit in with the Northern Powerhouse Project, wherever that may now lay...

 

[ainsworth74]

4) Set up an assembly plant in the Thornaby/Middlesbrough/the remnants of British Steel Redcar area. With the recent mothballing of the steelworks, this would help to ease the economic impact that was caused by that action.

Would also give easy access to a good sized port as well.

What with Hitachi setting up shop perhaps Teesside can become known for train building rather than steel making

 

[DarloRich]

3) Reopen the former BREL works at York. This would allow future Intercity trains to be assembled and roll immediately into service. It is not too far away from Kingston upon Hull docks, however, it may be a challenge to thread the unassembled items from the port to York along a congested railway. Furthermore, this location has a lot of history, and it would be good to continue that in the future.

errrrrr they aren't closed!

4) Set up an assembly plant in the Thornaby/Middlesbrough/the remnants of British Steel Redcar area. With the recent mothballing of the steelworks, this would help to ease the economic impact that was caused by that action.

Any thoughts?

I will always support building in the North East

 

[Harbornite]

errrrrr they aren't closed!



I will always support building in the North East

I was under the impression that Adtranz ceased building new trains there in 1995. Thrall Europa then reopened the works for new wagon construction/assembly but that fell through. Either way, I assume the site is used for wagon repairs or track machines, but not for assembling new trains.

 

[DarloRich]

I was under the impression that Adtranz ceased building new trains there in 1995. Thrall Europa then reopened the works for new wagon construction/assembly but that fell through. Either way, I assume the site is used for wagon repairs or track machines, but not for assembling new trains.

yes but people are still working there and the current owners might not want to give it up

PS nor has any "history" been lost - rail vehicles are still looked after on site - continuing the site use that goes back to 1884 (although the site is smaller than it was under BR and there was a break of a couple of years around privitisation)

 

[notlob.divad]

1) Bootle (Lancashire/Merseyside) - right on the edge of a coastline, which would be useful for an assembly plant. There is also a loop railway to move the assembled trains to their relevant homes, therefore it would not conflict with the Hunts Cross - Southport services or trains from Edge Hill - Liverpool Lime Street.

Any thoughts?

My thoughts for the North West, have always been towards the Parkside Colliery site. It has been a long term aim to turn it into a rail freight terminal / logistics hub. There are freight paths from the Docks at Bootle and it has access to the Chat Moss Line and WCML. There is also good potential motorway access if they are looking to run their spares distribution center from the same location. I wonder if something like the CAF assembly plant could be a big enough impetus to kick start the project.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

My thoughts for the North West, have always been towards the Parkside Colliery site. It has been a long term aim to turn it into a rail freight terminal / logistics hub. There are freight paths from the Docks at Bootle and it has access to the Chat Moss Line and WCML. There is also good potential motorway access if they are looking to run their spares distribution center from the same location. I wonder if something like the CAF assembly plant could be a big enough impetus to kick start the project.

It's a pity Alstom sold the Vulcan Foundry site for housing.
The Earlestown site is still pretty much intact and unused.

But I doubt it will be any of these green field sites.
To have any chance of making use of a UK facility for its current orders it will need a ready-made site, possibly contracted from somebody else.
Crewe and Widnes (Alstom) come to mind - they have worked together on some Spanish trains.
It might also be just a finishing plant (interiors etc) with basic assembly still in Spain.
CAF was reported to be desperate for the Northern/TPE orders to stave off closures in Spain.
A UK presence may also help their future bids (Merseyrail etc).
I doubt very much that they have committed to full scale UK manufacture.

 

[DarloRich]

A UK presence may also help their future bids (Merseyrail etc).
I doubt very much that they have committed to full scale UK manufacture.

The linked article mentions assembly rather than manufacture.

 

[CdBrux]

A few locations in the north of England that I have thought of.

4) Set up an assembly plant in the Thornaby/Middlesbrough/the remnants of British Steel Redcar area. With the recent mothballing of the steelworks, this would help to ease the economic impact that was caused by that action.

Any thoughts?

Presumably also good access to a fairly ready skilled workforce?

 

[Domh245]

The linked article mentions assembly rather than manufacture.

Surely that would make it no different to Litchurch Lane or Newton Aycliffe?

 

[DarloRich]

Surely that would make it no different to Litchurch Lane or Newton Aycliffe?

exactly.

 

[Mikey C]

I imagine that once you create a facility from scratch to maintain the trains, that introducing some limited local assembly takes relatively little extra effort, and clearly gives some political benefit as well. It will be interesting to see the local UK content of these trains when compared with the Hitachi AT200s

 

[thenorthern]

Are they getting ready for a post Brexit environment as it will be cheaper to build trains in the UK given that the way things are going there will be duty for trains coming into the UK from the EU.

Regarding the location has anyone thought that it could be in Northern Ireland given that all trains operated by Northern Ireland Railways are built by CAF so they have a large presence in the Province already.

 

[notlob.divad]

It's a pity Alstom sold the Vulcan Foundry site for housing.
The Earlestown site is still pretty much intact and unused.

But I doubt it will be any of these green field sites.
To have any chance of making use of a UK facility for its current orders it will need a ready-made site, possibly contracted from somebody else.
Crewe and Widnes (Alstom) come to mind - they have worked together on some Spanish trains.
It might also be just a finishing plant (interiors etc) with basic assembly still in Spain.
CAF was reported to be desperate for the Northern/TPE orders to stave off closures in Spain.
A UK presence may also help their future bids (Merseyrail etc).
I doubt very much that they have committed to full scale UK manufacture.

True Parkside would not be a ready made facility, although I don't know if I would go so far as to call it Greenfield. As far as I am aware the Alstom base at Widnes is still "greenfield". Although hopefully not for long with planning permission etc now approved. I have previously questioned the future of the Edge Hill Facility once that is built. If Pendo maintainance etc was to be moved to the new facility would the Edge Hill base be suitable for CAF to take over as a maintenance / assembly facility?

 

[AndrewP]

As a management consultant with a property specialism I would advocate a new building rather that converting existing plus a portal framed tin shed is very quick to build.

As for location I think that York can be ruled out as I believe most of that area is already subject to redevelopment and also there will be less incentives due to the relative affluence of North Yorks.

My money would be on teeside as it ticks so many boxes (unemployment, skilled personnel available, incentives for businesses and close to nice places to live for senior management (Durham, Wynyard etc))

 

[WatcherZero]

If it was new build how about Port Salford, site with existing planning permissions for a new rail served facility which would be less than 5km from planned HS2 phase 2 rolling stock depot.

 

[Bungle965]

As a management consultant with a property specialism I would advocate a new building rather that converting existing plus a portal framed tin shed is very quick to build.

As for location I think that York can be ruled out as I believe most of that area is already subject to redevelopment and also there will be less incentives due to the relative affluence of North Yorks.

My money would be on teeside as it ticks so many boxes (unemployment, skilled personnel available, incentives for businesses and close to nice places to live for senior management (Durham, Wynyard etc))

If I was to put money on it, Teesside would have also have been my guess.
Sam

 

[Domh245]

If I was to put money on it, Teesside would have also have been my guess.
Sam

With the mention of Maintenance, you've got to feel that a West Coast location might be more suited as it would then allow easier access for major servicing of any NI stock.

 

[thenorthern]

It could be South Wales as both TVR and Aston Martin are building factories there with help from the Welsh Government.

 

[Harbornite]

It could be South Wales as both TVR and Aston Martin are building factories there with help from the Welsh Government.

Northern England would be more strategic because that's where the majority of orders are for. However, I do wonder who will get the south wales EMU contract once those branches are electrified...