Bolsover MP visits WH Davis as Shirebrook manufacturer secures landmark export deal
Bolsover MP Natalie Fleet has welcomed the creation of 20 new highly skilled jobs at Shirebrook railway wagon manufacturer WH Davis, thanks to a multi-million-euro export deal secured with Government backing.
Natalie visited the company – which is the UK’s only remaining railway wagon manufacturer – to learn more about the work WH Davis does and meet its workers, many of whom live in the local area.
The company has recently secured a €44 million contract with Irish Rail to supply 150 freight wagons – its first export order in 20 years. Backed by the UK’s export credit agency, UK Export Finance (UKEF), the deal could grow to 400 wagons under a 10-year framework agreement.
This contract will create 20 new jobs, increasing the workforce by a quarter, and secure long-term employment for the 80 staff already on site. All the wagons will be built in Shirebrook and delivered by the end of 2027. Workers will build wagons offering greater speed and capacity, helping to deliver Ireland’s ambitious rail freight expansion strategy.
Natalie also spoke with the company’s managers about its plans to grow into international markets, investment in apprenticeships and a local welding school, and its strong ties with the community – including sponsoring Shirebrook Rangers FC and working with local schools.
WH Davis’s parent company, Buckland Rail, has also invested £5 million to safeguard jobs during quieter periods, ensuring skills are retained locally.
Natalie Fleet MP said: “This is brilliant news for Shirebrook. To see Shirebrook’s own wagon manufacturer exporting internationally again for the first time in 20 years is a huge achievement, and it shows the strength of British manufacturing when it’s backed properly by a Government that believes in backing British jobs.
“These 20 new jobs and apprenticeships are great news for our community, and I’ll continue to champion businesses like WH Davis who are creating opportunities here in Bolsover.”
This contract marks the start of WH Davis’s renewed outward-looking approach, bringing international customers to Shirebrook and strengthening the UK’s rail manufacturing sector.