New train factory to create 500 new jobs
1 min read
Scotland, Wales, northern and south west England are to get a fleet of new trains built at a new train factory in County Durham, and more reliable rail links to London, creating thousands of jobs, boosting the economy and improving services for passengers, Transport Secretary Philip Hammond announced yesterday (1 March). He gave the go-ahead for the £4.5bn Intercity Express Programme (IEP) and the £704m plans to electrify the Great Western Main Line (GWML) between Cardiff, Bristol and Didcot.
The Government said it had decided to resume the IEP procurement and proceed with the Agility Trains (Hitachi and John Laing) consortium's plans for replacement for the nation's fleet of ageing intercity high speed trains. This will mean 500 new carriages which will provide 11,000 more peak-time seats for passengers, every day on the GWML and ECML
Hitachi had previously announced its intention to build a new train factory in County Durham to build the new order, creating more than 500 new jobs and securing thousands of additional jobs in sub-supplier industries in north east England, giving a further boost to Britain's manufacturing industry. This factory is expected to be operational by 2013.
Following the decision, Business Secretary Vince Cable announced that the Government is prepared to offer conditional funding to Hitachi. This is in support of Hitachi's plans to build the new manufacturing and assembly centre at Newton Aycliffe.
He said: "With Japanese investment, Agility Trains will bring state-of-the-art technology to the UK, safeguard and boost jobs as well as create new opportunities for the UK supply chain."
