Summary: The history of CAF dates back to 1892 in Beasain, in the Spanish Basque Country, with the conversion of an old forge into industrial workshops for repairing and assembling railway wagons. In 1905, the rebuilt factory was named Fábrica de Vagones de Beasain (FVB). The company would not adopt its current name, Compañía Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF), until 1917—a date considered the official founding of the company. Rolling stock orders began pouring in at a time when Talgo did not yet exist. After a turbulent period marked by requisitions during the Spanish Civil War and then World War II, CAF modernized its Beasain factory and expanded its activity to all types of rolling stock. The creation of its Research and Development unit in 1969 enabled the company to pursue international expansion. In 2008, CAF acquired a 60% stake in CFD Bagnères-de-Bigorre (formerly the Soulé company founded in 1928), marking its first establishment in France. In 2018, CAF purchased the Polish bus manufacturer Solaris, and in 2022 it acquired the Talent 3 platform from competitor Bombardier Transportation, which included the Reichshoffen factory that Alstom was required to sell as part of its acquisition of Bombardier. Globally, CAF employs approximately 5,000 people.

➤ Other rolling stock suppliers in Europe: Alstom, Greenbrier Europe, Hitachi Rail Europe, Pesa, Siemens, Škoda, Stadler, Talgo, Vossloh