CONFIRMATION that a £40 million train manufacturing plant won't be built at Longannet is "hugely disappointing".
It's more than six years since Talgo announced plans for a factory that would bring 1000 jobs but they hit the buffers in 2021 when the Spanish firm failed to secure a contract for the HS2 - a high speed railway in England.
They insisted that they were still interested in establishing a West Fife base at the old power station site but, finally, they admitted this week that it's the end of the line.
A Talgo spokesperson said: "As you already know Talgo plans for Longannet were tightly connected with the HS2 project and Talgo being part of it, which is no longer the case.
"We keep our interest in the UK rolling stock market in general and are therefore keen to see particular developments regarding old stock replacement for Scotland’s railways.
"But currently we have no plans on Longannet."
Dunfermline MSP Shirley-Anne Somerville commented: "The confirmation that Talgo has dropped their plans to open a factory at Longannet is clearly hugely disappointing for communities across West Fife and beyond.
"Talgo's project had raised significant hopes and expectations, particularly after the events in Kincardine and at the Scottish Parliament, where the potential benefits were highlighted.
"Obviously, there were fears this might not go ahead following their failure to secure an HS2 contract, but Talgo had reassured everyone that their plans were not solely dependent on that.
"I will now be seeking a meeting with Scottish Enterprise to discuss the future of the site and what can be done to deliver much needed investment and job opportunities for the local area."
Talgo selected Longannet as their preferred choice for a train manufacturing plant in November 2018 with the potential jobs boost for the area described as “transformational”.
It coincided with the demolition of the old power station, which closed in 2016, and the news also strengthened the case for the re-opening of a direct rail link from Dunfermline to Kincardine and on to Stirling and Glasgow.
Planning permission was given by the council in December 2019 but two years later Talgo missed out on a contract to supply rolling stock for HS2.
At that time a spokesperson for Talgo said: “When we first came forward with plans, people thought it was all predicated on this one bid but Talgo are pursuing other orders from around the world and there are other interesting opportunities in the British Isles.
“It’s not only building for the UK market but also building for export that is really uppermost in our minds.”
In 2022 the then West Fife and Coastal villages councillor, Graeme Downie, said the project had been shelved after Scottish Enterprise confirmed an agreed option to purchase the site from Scottish Power had expired.
Again, Talgo insisted their "commitment to the site at Longannet and the wider UK remains solid".
Mr Downie, who is now the MP for Dunfermline and Dollar, said this week: "I discovered back in 2022 that Talgo was not going to go ahead with this site and that had already been clear for years before.
"Since I was elected as the local MP six months ago I have raised this in the House of Commons, with Scottish Power and with ministers.
"The Longannet site has massive potential to deliver jobs and economic growth to the area and I am determined to do everything I can to make that happen."
