TRAIN manufacturing could return to Scotland for the first time in decades after rolling stock engineer Talgo unveiled the short-list for its first UK site.

Power station sites in Hunterston in Ayrshire and Longannet in Fife are among six locations whittled down by the Spanish manufacturer, which said its investment could create 1,000 jobs directly and up to six times that many in the supply chain.

Talgo, which envisages investing an overall £40 million to set up its UK facility, will announce its decision in November.

Should either Hunterston or Longannet get the nod it would restore to Scotland what in decades past was one of its most important heavy industries. Tens of thousands of people were employed at railway works in Sringburn, Cowlairs and St Rollox in the north of Glasgow, and at the Queens Park Works in Polmadie in the south side, until their decline in the 1960s.

It is understood that the last passenger trains to be built in Scotland were manufactured in the 1980s under a collaboration between Alexander (Falkirk) and Hunslet Barclay (Kilmarnock).

Asked why Hunterston and Longannet had made the short-list, Talgo UK business development director Jon Veitch praised the skills bases built up in their respective areas, through companies such as BAE Systems in Rosyth, and the talent coming through the local college and university system.

Highlighting the “connectivity” that the two Scottish sites have to offer, Mr Veitch raised the prospect of trains manufactured by Talgo in the UK ultimately being exported, as well as being supplied to local markets.

Stating that securing government support is not a “primary factor” in the investment decision, he said: “This is all about establishing for the long term, because we see that there is a growing market, particularly in Canada, Africa and Australia. We see exports out to those areas long term.”

Talgo, which designs and manufactures lightweight trains, currently has an industrial presence in 28 countries, including Spain, Germany, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia and the US. It is the rolling stock provider for the Haramain high-speed railway line between La Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia, and the new AVRIL train to Spanish operator RENFE.

The company has been searching for its first UK manufacturing site for the last18 months, and in addition to Hunterston and Longannet has short-listed three locations in England and one in Wales. It aims to source components for the trains it intends to make from within the UK, declaring that this would boost the country’s manufacturing capability, supply chains and ultimately employment.

Mr Veitch said that if Hunterston or Longannet do not secure the site then the company would look to Scottish companies to feed into the supply chain for the plant.

Talgo, which employs more than 2,000 in total, said all six of the UK sites stand to benefit from job creation, stating that they have the potential to supply people who can be “skilled up” for the manufacturing roles it will offer. Mr Veitch noted that the company will be looking to build train testing facilities as part of its investment in the UK.

“It will be a true factory, not just an assembly facility,” he added. “That’s raw materials, design, and it’s for a lasting legacy with a long-term view of exporting.”

Asked whether Brexit had come into Talgo’s thinking, Mr Veitch replied that it had “obviously considered it, but [we] don’t see it as a problem for us because of our long-term vision.”

He said: “We want to establish properly in the UK, with the local supply chain and people around us. That keeps the economy within the UK.”

Talgo president Carlos de Palacio said: “The establishment of a manufacturing facility in the UK is a significant part of Talgo’s future strategy.”