GCRE and Talgo to build long-term partnership

Credit: GCRE

The Global Centre of Rail Excellence (GCRE) has taken delivery of its first rail carriage – the start of an important new partnership between the innovation facility and global train manufacturer, Talgo. The carriage was donated by Talgo and will based at the south Wales site to be developed into a visitor’s centre while the £400 million GCRE facility is being constructed over the next few years.

The Global Centre of Rail Excellence is a major new rail innovation centre due to be completed in 2025. It will be a home for world class research, testing and certification of rolling stock, infrastructure and new rail technologies for the UK and international rail industry.

GCRE will be the UK’s first net zero railway. The facility will include two 25KV electrified test loops, one a 6.9km high speed rolling stock track and the other a 4km ~60km/h infrastructure test track.

Credit: GCRE

“It was terrific to take delivery of the Talgo carriage and to display it on our site,” Simon Jones, Chief Executive of the GCRE, said. “It is the very first piece of rolling stock to be delivered to the Global Centre of Rail Excellence facility and we hope to use the carriage as a visitor’s centre while we construct our new facility. Perhaps more importantly, we want this to be the start of longer-term relationship between the Global Centre of Rail Excellence and Talgo.

“The services we will be providing on site – world class research, testing and certification of rolling stock, infrastructure and innovative new rail technologies – are ones that we know can benefit high quality, international manufacturers such as Talgo. Developing the GCRE and Talgo partnership is something that we are committed to doing. Talgo have been supporters of GCRE throughout our development phase.  By facilitating their rail testing and innovation requirements we can support the innovative, net zero technologies that we need to underpin the decarbonised rail network of tomorrow.”

“As pioneer of rail vehicle innovation, Talgo is glad to be the first piece of rolling stock to arrive to GCRE, first class research, testing and certification facilities,” Jonathan Veitch, Managing Director of Talgo UK, said. “We fully share GCREs vision and we hope this will be a first step of a successful collaboration between both parties to bring innovation and efficient testing proposals to a market in which Talgo holds a true interest. We are keen of the capabilities our technology has for decarbonising and improving rail transport in the UK.”