This contract is the first order under a 10-year framework agreement, which could see the number of wagons supplied increase to 400. The wagons will support Ireland’s rail freight expansion strategy, with deliveries expected to begin in summer 2026 and conclude by the end of 2027.
The contract is expected to facilitate a significant expansion of the company’s workforce by 25%, from 80 to 100 staff members. These new jobs will be based at WH Davis’s manufacturing site in Shirebrook, an ex-mining village in the East Midlands, helping to revitalise employment in the area.
Gareth Thomas, Minister for Exports and Small Businesses, said: "UK manufacturers have huge exporting and growth potential, and WH Davis’s breakthrough into this market is a perfect example of how the right support can help unleash this."
The new wagons have a carrying capacity that is one third greater than that of Iarnród Éireann’s older fleet, and they are faster too, with a maximum speed of 110 km/h (up from 80 km/h).
Tim Reid at UK Export Finance added: "WH Davis’s return to exporting after 20 years, backed by UKEF’s Bond Support Scheme, demonstrates the transformative potential of export finance in revitalising local manufacturing and generating skilled employment opportunities in communities such as Shirebrook."
The deal was made possible with support from the UK's export credit agency, UK Export Finance (UKEF), through its Bond Support Scheme. A 80% UKEF guarantee of the required contract bond meant that WH Davis’s bank, Barclays, could issue the vital capital needed to fund the production and delivery of the wagons.
