THE dazzling blue flash of the welding torch has returned to the former York Carriageworks site.

Thrall Europa has opened up a weld school to train production staff in skills of the trade as it prepares to start manufacturing freight wagons by the summer.

The wagonworks will employ around 70 welders by the time the first wagons roll off the production line in July, but all production staff will receive training under Thrall's "multi-skilling" policy.

The weld school has been built and opened in four weeks in what was once a pipe shop for ABB's train making factory.

Separate booths have been constructed for each employee to safely learn their skills.

The first nine production staff to be employed by Thrall have just started undergoing training at the school, and further batches will go through as the recruitment drive is stepped up.

The new recruits have gone through extensive testing to ensure they have the right aptitude and attitude before being taken on, says manufacturing director Robert Brandon.

Some of the new production staff, like Ian Wiles of York, used to work at the old ABB carriageworks.

Ian said he had been a fitter/welder there for some 20 years and had never imagined he would return to the site.

Thrall will build 2,500 wagons over five years for the British freight market, bringing the total number of employees up to 300 within a year or so of opening.

But staff numbers could rise higher still in future if orders can be won from the European market.

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