News that the HS2 project is to go ahead has been welcomed at the Hitachi rail plant, which is bidding to build trains for the project.
Hitachi - which has a train building factory at Newton Aycliffe, County Durham - is working with Derby鈥檚 Bombardier Transportation 海角视频 on a joint bid for the 拢2.75bn project.
Following the announcement that the line has been approved, Jim Brewin, 海角视频 country lead at Hitachi Rail, issued a joint statement with Bombardier president Matt Byrne.
They said: 鈥淭his decision is a symbol of confidence in 海角视频 plc and great news for the whole country. As Britain鈥檚 biggest train manufacturers, we鈥檙e excited to continue our joint bid to design and build the Great British train here in the 海角视频.
鈥淚t would support thousands of manufacturing and supply chain jobs and unite the Midlands and the North. It鈥檚 time to work together to deliver the full benefits of HS2.鈥
Hitachi, which recently announced 250 job cuts at Newton Aycliffe, wants to build and design at least 54 trains for Phase One of HS2.
The HS2 announcement, meanwhile, has been broadly welcomed by business and political leaders in the North East, though they have warned that rail services in the region also have to be improved.
Jonathan Walker, assistant director of policy at the North East England Chamber of Commerce, said: 鈥淲e have campaigned for HS2 to be approved and delivered as our members urgently need fast and reliable connections to their customers around the region and the rest of the country.
鈥淭he decision to progress this substantial rail project is great news for the North East. Any review of the later phases must be used to ensure HS2, Northern Powerhouse Rail and East Coast Mainline are integrated properly, rather than as seen as a chance for further delays.鈥
Newcastle North MP Catherine McKinnell, chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on the East Coast Main Line, said: 鈥淚n the North we badly need urgent investment in rail infrastructure.
鈥淲e have seen no major new lines since the Victorian era, and large parts of the network are bursting at the seams. The East Coast Mainline is highly-congested, and not fit for modern Britain. The single track line from Newcastle to York is in dire need of a major upgrade.
鈥淗S2 is a very welcome and long overdue project which will deliver badly needed capacity on our rail network, improve connectivity across our country, and help the environment by taking freight and polluting vehicles off our roads.
鈥淗owever, it must be part of a wider package. Taken together these projects would be transformational for the North East economy but we cannot afford to see more delays to investment in the North. I鈥檒l be holding the Government鈥檚 feet to the fire to ensure they deliver for our region.鈥
