High-speed train firm on track to bring 1000 jobs to town

A high-speed train coach pulled into Kincardine as part of plans to bring 1000 jobs to Fife.

Spanish firm Talgo hopes to transform disused power station Longannet into a new train factory.

Last week, Prime Minister Boris Johnson gave the HS2 railway project the go-ahead.

Talgo is currently on the shortlist to provide trains for the project, a contract worth £2.7bn.

In 2018, the firm chose Longannet as its preferred site due to its “good sea, rail and road connections”, as well as the availability of skilled workers.

A second preferred site, at Chesterfield, will serve as an innovation centre.

Kincardine: The train coach went on display. STV

On Wednesday, one of Talgo’s 250kph coaches went on display at Kincardine Community Centre.

The public were invited along for a “cup of tea and cake” and were able to ask Talgo representatives questions on their future plans.

Jon Veitch, managing director of Talgo UK, told STV News: “Well, here today is one of our Talgo high-speed coaches, which we wanted so importantly to bring to the local area so that people can actually touch and feel and experience what Talgo could bring.

“So Talgo technology and our trains are able to run at very high speeds and higher speeds.

“We have a very different technology to any other trains that may operate around the world and we wanted actually people just to see that technology first hand.”

The coach will next go on display at the Michelin Scotland Innovation Parc in Dundee on Thursday.

Mr Veitch added: “So Scotland, for us – and for the UK, is all about bringing true manufacturing back to this country, which was the birthplace of railways in the first place.

“So, our commitment is a true factory with raw materials, high-value equipment being manufactured here, and then we will be exporting to the rest of the world.”