Leading infrastructure consultancy Amey has announced the opening of a new design hub in Cardiff, which it says will create 60 new jobs in Wales, out of a total of 500 jobs at the peak of the Cardiff Valleys transformation works over the next four years.

The announcement was welcomed by the Welsh Economy and Transport Minister Ken Skates at the official opening on Thursday 18 July:

“The opening of Amey’s new design hub in Cardiff, and the 60 jobs it will create, is part of our wider £5bn investment in the Wales and Borders Rail franchise and of our determination to transfer this investment into economic growth and job creation.

“I know that Amey plans to draw on the pool of engineering talent in the South Wales area, and I welcome the company’s commitment to creating high quality jobs in the heart of our capital city .

“This is the beginning of an exciting venture and I look forward to the future successes our pioneering partnership approach will bring.”

In May 2018, Amey was among the winners of a new 15-year contract to operate the Wales and Borders rail service and South Wales Metro together with train operator Keolis – Transport for Wales Rail Services. A spokesperson said Transport for Wales would create an additional 600 jobs and 450 apprenticeships by 2033, prompting praise from the Welsh government and other local businesses.

Amey’s new design hub in Cardiff represents an additional investment by the business and will form the base from which it will look to draw on the pool of engineering talent in the South Wales area and pursue new opportunities throughout Wales and its English border counties.

Located on Callaghan Square, the hub will house a team of civil engineers and designers working on a range of projects from road and rail design to data analysis and asset management. The new recruits will join the existing Cardiff Valley Lines Transformation team and employees from Transport for Wales and ECI contractors, providing an environment for increased collaboration and co-working.

Amey’s Managing Director of Consulting and Rail, Nicola Hindle, said the Cardiff hub was symbolic of Amey’s commitment to Wales:

“A key priority for our business is to create local jobs and boost local economies in the areas where we operate. Since June 2018 over 250 staff have joined our consulting team and 60 of them are based in Cardiff. This is in addition to the 60 people recruited for the Cardiff Valley Lines Transformation and it is the start of the journey to a project team that will swell to over 500 at its peak.

“I’m delighted to be able to announce this long-term commitment to Wales and I look forward to welcoming all our employees to their new base in Cardiff.”

Amey’s new hub is the latest in a network of consultancy hubs which the business operates in the UK, including sites in Belfast, Birmingham, Crawley, Edinburgh, Manchester, Motherwell and Sheffield. The site is located close to the KeolisAmey Train Operations Team and KeolisAmey HQ on Penarth Road.