A much-delayed deal for new intercity express trains has finally been announced by the Government, with the £4.5 billion contract helping to create 900 new jobs.
Under the deal, Agility Trains, a consortium led by Hitachi of Japan, will build 596 rail carriages at a new factory in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham. The first trains will enter service on the Greater Western Main Line in 2017 and on the East Coast Main Line by 2018.
Agility was announced as preferred bidder for the Intercity Express Programme in early 2009, but after a series of delays it has taken more than three years for the deal to be finalised. The project, to replace the Intercity 125 trains, will not only create new jobs but safeguard thousands more.
A total of 730 skilled jobs will be created at Newton Aycliffe with a further 200 created during construction of the factory itself, where Hitachi will assemble a fleet of 92 complete trains. The company will also locate its European rail research and development capabilities on the site which will enhance the factory's ability to win rail contracts across Europe.
As well as building the new state-of-the-art assembly facility, Hitachi will construct maintenance depots in Bristol, Swansea, west London and Doncaster, and will upgrade existing maintenance depots throughout Britain.
Transport Secretary Justine Greening said: "A new train factory is fantastic news for Britain and will be welcomed by everyone who wants to see a thriving UK manufacturing sector. 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."
Association of Train Operating Companies chief executive Michael Roberts said: "This announcement is good news for passengers as it will mean faster, more comfortable journeys and many more seats.
"This Department for Transport-led procurement, however, has been contentious. Some of the earlier scope of the project has been changed because of subsequent Government decisions to electrify parts of the rail network.
"Train companies believe that the key to delivering better value for money is to ensure that they play a bigger role in shaping rolling stock solutions through the competitive franchising process. It will help get things done more quickly and bring down costs, and we welcome the Government's support for this approach."
Bob Crow, general secretary of the RMT union, said: "While any new jobs are welcome, this whole botched and delayed intercity replacement programme could have generated thousands of skilled manufacturing jobs if the trains had been built from scratch in the UK rather than just assembled in kit form shipped from Japan."
The Press Association, photo by onewayticket