Hitachi Rail Europe has secured a second contract for 270 carriages which help create up to 30 new trains for the East Coast Mainline, replacing the existing rolling stock. This means Intercity express trains will be built up to 2020 maintaining 730 direct jobs at Hitachi’s £82 million factory on Aycliffe Business Park.
This is great news for the town and I believe the Hitachi factory will help put Newton Aycliffe on the map. The company is now looking for further contracts in the UK and Europe.
The factory will enter construction in the autumn and will take 21 months to build, creating about 300 construction jobs. It’s a huge undertaking. Companies up and down the region will benefit from contracts to help construct the factory and then build the trains. The factory’s supply chain will create or maintain thousands of jobs. Significant recruitment for jobs at the factory will start in 2015 and the new rolling stock will be produced from 2016.
This is exciting times for Newton Aycliffe. We should be proud of all we’ve achieved and it’s great that the news has arrived in time to celebrate the towns 65th anniversary.
Phil Wilson MP
