Local Member of Parliament Alan Strickland has welcomed the Transport Secretary and North East Mayor Kim McGuinness back to Hitachi to launch a major new investment in the plant.
Secretary of State Heidi Alexander MP, Arriva and Angel trains announced a £300m contract to build 45 new carriages for the Grand Central route from Sunderland to London Kings Cross.
This follows the visit by Prime Minister Keir Starmer to the factory in Aycliffe Business Park, in December, to announce a £500m deal, which secured the factory’s future after years of uncertainty.
These deals are part of the government pledge to take action to boost Hitachi’s order book and address production gaps. The latest contract involves the development of nine new trains that use battery technology instead of diesel back-up engines. This innovative green technology paves the way for further growth opportunities at the Newton Aycliffe facility.
Local MP, Alan Strickland, who has been campaigning for the factory’s future for three years, said: “I’m proud that Hitachi’s world-class manufacturing plant in Aycliffe has now received £800m of new orders since the general election. This decisive action by the Labour government is securing highly skilled local jobs and bringing much needed investment to our area. I’m proud to have worked hard with government ministers, rail industry leaders, Hitachi management and trade union representatives to campaign for these groundbreaking deals.”
Jim Brewin, Hitachi UK Chief Director, said “We have been blessed with the support we’ve had from North East Mayor Kim McGuinness to local MP Alan Strickland and the Prime Minister. What we’ve really been taken back by is just how much the workforce here has been acknowledged.”
Photo: L-R Jim Brewin, Kim McGuinness, Alan Strickland MP, Heidi Alexander MP.