Spanish rolling stock manufacturer CAF had long supplied trains to the UK rail network from its Spanish factories. When they decided to set up a factory in the UK, they reviewed many sites, eventually selecting Celtic Business Park near Newport, partly due to its direct connection to the London to South Wales railway line. The brownfield site, which used to be the home of Tata Steel, required extensive ground turnover.
We carried out extensive consultation with CAF including visiting their existing Spanish headquarters in Beasain, near Bilbao. It was important for us to understand the complex processes and methods of production for railway carriages, along with the intricacies associated with railway track production. This enabled us to design the building so it was suitable for the production process, as well as incorporating associated offices and support facilities.
“The factory has the flexibility to allow us to respond to the exacting demands of both existing and new customers by providing the most complete offering of any rolling stock provider operating in the UK.”
We designed a 15,300 square metre building to accommodate the production of different vehicle types, including diesel and electric multiple units, trams, and high-speed trainsets, along with associated external works including a paint shop and extensive rail tracks.
The factory was officially opened by HRH The Prince of Wales in February 2020.
