TRANSPORT MINISTER IN NEWTON AYCLIFFE

By Martin Walker

Transport secretary Justine Greening visited Newton Aycliffe to deliver the fantastic news about Hitachi this afternoon.

The Government this morning confirmed the £4.5bn deal with Agility Trains, a consortium led by Hitachi Rail Europe.

Ms Greening stood with Sedgefield MP Phil Wilson at the Amazon Park site, near Aycliffe Business Park, where Hitachi’s state-of-the-art £77m facility will begin to take shape next year.

Along with Chiaki Ueda, chairman of Hitachi Rail Europe, she addressed the region’s media during a busy but brief press conference.

“A new train factory is fantastic news for Britain and will be welcomed by everyone who wants to see a thriving UK manufacturing sector,” said Ms Greening.

“It means 730 new skilled jobs created at the factory, 200 jobs in constructing the plant and thousands of jobs secured in the supply chain.

“The decision to build almost 600 new intercity train carriages is great for rail passengers who will experience faster and more comfortable journeys when travelling across Britain on the East Coast and Great Western main lines.

“Hitachi is the latest major international company to invest on this scale in Britain and I look forward to this new factory in County Durham following in the footsteps of Nissan’s successful car plant in Sunderland.

“There can also be fewer stronger signs that the UK is the best place in which to invest, and from which to develop new markets, than Hitachi’s decision to base its European manufacturing base right here in Britain.”