Halton Borough Council has granted Alstom planning permission to purchase 30 acres of land for a new Technology Centre development at Widnes.

The engineering firm plans to build the £20 million facility at the North West Transport Training Academy and construction is due to begin later this year.

The Technology Centre will act as a hub for research and development, providing training in engineering, manufacturing, project management and other vital transport sector skills.


In addition, the development will upskill the existing workforce, support apprentices/new graduates for the North West rail industry, and act as a centre to carry out essential maintenance work.

Andreas Knitter, Alstom's Senior Vice President for Europe, said: "This new centre is part of our global strategy to grow our service activities by localising our operations close to our customers. It allows us to react much more quickly to growth in local markets.

"The UK is one of the most exciting places in the world for train companies like Alstom to do business, so it's important that we run the most efficient operation possible through modern facilities with the latest technology."

(LM)