OREANDA-NEWS. Alstom today celebrates the start of construction work on its new technology centre and training academy in Widnes at a ground-breaking ceremony attended by UK Rail Minister Paul Maynard.

The technology centre and training academy, for which Alstom invested €25 million, will open in May 2017. It could create up to 600 jobs for local people in the long term and, once open, offer 15,000 hours of training each year.

Rail Minister Paul Maynard said: “It is fantastic to see rail companies like Alstom grow their presence in the UK by opening new and modern sites. I am especially pleased with the employment and training opportunities that Alstom will offer at its new technology centre and training academy. It’s great news for Widnes as well as for the wider rail industry. Making sure that the industry has the skills it needs in the future is one of my top priorities.”

Cllr Rob Polhill, leader of Halton Borough Council, said: “We are delighted Alstom are on site in Widnes. This is fantastic news for Halton and the Liverpool City Region. Alstom plans to create hundreds of high quality jobs and training opportunities, and the new training academy is a fantastic opportunity for local people. The Council has been striving for many years to get the site connected to nearby rail infrastructure. Not only will Alstom use that rail connection but they are investing in their own on-site rail infrastructure too.”

Welcoming the investment from Alstom, Liverpool City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) Interim Chair Asif Hamid said: “This is fantastic news for the City Region. Alstom’s €25m technology centre and training academy development will bring a state-of-the-art facility to Halton and create jobs and growth for generations to come. Their investment will contribute significantly to the City Region’s advanced manufacturing sector and the regional economy as a whole. Going forward, we will continue to work closely with Alstom to support their future plans.”