European rail manufacturer Alstom is planning to significantly expand capacity at its railway bogie frame factory in Hungary with a Ft6bn ($16.2m) development programme.

The company is aiming to boost production by 40% at the factory in Mátranovák as part of its 2030 Programme, which includes the onboarding of nearly 150 new staff, upgrading machinery at the site, and the construction of new logistics halls by 2025.

Gáspár Balázs, managing director of Alstom in Hungary, said: “Thanks to the development programme, the Mátranovák site has the potential to become one of the most important manufacturing sites for railway bogies in Alstom.

Balázs highlighted the importance of the newly hired staff to Alstom’s plans and said they covered a range of operations including welders, locksmiths, CNC machine operators, engineers, and project managers.

The modernisation and expansion programme will be carried out by Alstom with support from the Government of Hungary after the company signed a contract with Minister of Foreign Trade and Foreign Affairs Péter Szijjártó.