Gateshead-based Turbo Power Systems Ltd (TPS) was honoured to welcome Chris Heaton-Harris (UK Minister of State for Transport), Cllr Martin Gannon (Leader of Gateshead Council), Tobyn Hughes (Nexus Managing Director) and Thomas Ahlburg (Stadler Group CEO), to their HQ on the Team Valley, 27th January 2020.
The visit follows a ceremony held at PROTO, where, in a landmark £362 million contract, Nexus announced the Swiss train builder Stadler Rail as their fleet supplier for the new Tyne & Wear Metro. They will work with over 30 supply chain partners in the UK advanced manufacturing, technology and construction sectors, half of them in North East England, creating and securing hundreds of skilled jobs.
TPS have been supplying bespoke power conversion systems for rail for over 40 years and have established themselves as the supplier of choice to some of the biggest rolling stock manufacturers in the world. TPS have employed some of the finest specialist power electronics engineers in the country and are looking forward to applying this expertise to a project with profound local importance.
Carlos Neves, Chief Executive Officer of TPS said: “It’s not every day that Gateshead receives such a high-profile visit from esteemed members of Parliament and the rail industry, so we relished the opportunity to exhibit some of our innovative power conversion systems for rail.
“The Tyne and Wear Metro is a huge part of everyday life for people living in the North East, transporting over 36 million passengers every year and so ensuring that passengers have a reliable service will be a top priority for both Stadler Rail and Nexus. We are hopeful that we will have the opportunity to deploy our expertise to this project since we have a proven track record in supplying power conversion systems for many global rail projects. This project holds significant importance to TPS because it will greatly benefit our local community; we are a North East company, employing North East people who use the Tyne & Wear metro every day.”
The regeneration of the Tyne & Wear Metro began in 2010 and will be completed with the installation of a new fleet of Metros by the end of 2024. The project has been supported throughout by the North East Combined Authority and the Local Enterprise Partnership.
The new trains will take Metro into the future with world-class reliability and comfort, greater energy-efficiency, and a full suite of modern carriage features and technology. It is a fundamental part of the economic and social life of North East England, taking 15 million car journeys off the region’s roads and helping urban centres to thrive. The first of the new trains are scheduled to be delivered in 2022, and will provide decades of effective service to Metro passengers.
