Spanish Rail Multinational Continues to Gain Momentum in Asia Pacific
16/04/2012
Spanish company CAF (Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles S.A.) has been selected to supply 57 electric three-car trains to Auckland Transport in New Zealand, and provide a 12-year maintenance contract, worth an estimated AUD$400 million.
With more than 100 years of experience serving the rail industry, CAF is a Spanish headquartered company, with a product portfolio that covers the complete railway and tramway rolling stock range, including metro cars, tramways, light rail vehicles, suburban and regional trains (both electrical and diesel), intercity trains, coaches, locomotives (electrical, diesel and hybrid) and high speed trains. Other than the design and manufacturing of the vehicles, CAF also provides to its customers complete refurbishment and maintenance services.
CAF already supplies a range of high speed trains, regional trains, commuter trains and light rail systems in cities such as Houston, Birmingham, Bucharest, Sao Paulo, Santiago and Madrid, as well as maintaining an extensive network of manufacturing and maintenance sites around the world.
In early 2011, CAF made the strategic decision to establish their Australasian headquarters in Brisbane, with strategic support from both Brisbane Marketing’s Investment Attraction team and Austrade.
“CAF joins a growing number of Spanish companies who are leveraging significant business opportunities in the region, since establishing a presence in Brisbane,” said Daniel Havas, Director- Investment Attraction at Brisbane Marketing.
“This is in addition to business opportunities that fellow Spanish companies Acciona, OHL and Abengoa Group have been able to realise.”
“Brisbane’s close proximity to New Zealand, the Pacific Islands and other neighbouring countries was an important factor in this bid win and the continued success of CAF in this region,” said Inaki Mendizabal, International Business Development Manager for CAF.
CAF’s win comes after a close bidding contest with the Korean firm, Hyundai Rotem, who already delivers electric trains to New Zealand’s capital, Wellington. CAF will deliver the first electric train to Auckland Transport in September 2013, with the full fleet to be running by the end of the following year.