THE GOVERNMENT has confirmed that it is to spend £4.5 billion on a new fleet of Intercity Express trains, almost three and a half years after naming a consortium led by Hitachi as preferred bidder.
The DfT said more than 900 jobs will be created and thousands more secured.
Hitachi is the construction partner in the Agility Trains consortium which also includes John Laing. 92 trains will be assembled at a new factory in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham. 730 skilled jobs will be created, while a further 200 people will be needed during the construction stage.
In an additional development, Hitachi is building a European rail research centre at New Aycliffe.
Hitachi will also build maintenance depots in Bristol, Swansea, west London and Doncaster. Other depots are to be upgraded.
The IEP train fleet will be a combination of electric and bi-mode trains, some five vehicles long and others nine. These will accelerate more quickly than existing stock, and will offer the potential for more frequent services. The capacity will mean more seats, and the DfT is promising 'a step-change in passenger comfort' with increased luggage space and 'no compromise on leg-room'. There will be strict performance targets.
Construction at Newton Aycliffe is expected to begin next year, and the factory should be operating by 2015. The first IEP trains are expected to enter revenue-earning service on the Great Western Main Line in 2017 and the East Coast Main Line by 2018.
The 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. 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.”
ATOC chief executive Michael Roberts welcomed the news, at least in principle. He said: “It will mean faster, more comfortable journeys and many more seats.
“This DfT-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.”