Alstom opens new training centre in Hungary

Credit: Alstom

Alstom has opened a new welding and fitter training centre at its Mátranovák site in Hungary, marking a significant investment in professional training and long term workforce development in the region. The facility is designed to train new specialists and upskill existing employees involved in the production of railway bogie frames supplied to customers worldwide.

The company said the centre will play a key role in securing the skilled workforce required to maintain production quality, efficiency and delivery reliability. It also reinforces Alstom’s Right First Time approach, which focuses on improving manufacturing performance and customer satisfaction through high quality processes and skills.

Mátranovák is Alstom’s most important site for the production of railway bogie frames, a critical component in terms of railway safety. More than 400 welders and fitters are currently employed at the site, underlining its importance within the company’s global manufacturing network.

The new training centre includes 10 welding stations, a cutting machine, two console cranes and production grade clamps and rotators. These tools mirror those used on the shop floor, allowing trainees to gain experience in conditions that closely replicate live manufacturing environments. This approach is intended to shorten the transition time from training to active production roles.

Alongside practical training, the centre provides classroom based theoretical education, changing facilities and shared spaces for trainees. Training programmes typically last between eight and twelve weeks and cover specialist welding techniques for bogie frame manufacturing, basic locksmithing skills and the safe use of machinery and tools.

Alstom also highlighted the centre’s role in strengthening cooperation with regional vocational institutions. As an accredited dual training centre, the Mátranovák site can now support practical education across several professions, including logistics, as well as offering university internship opportunities in both technical and administrative fields.