海角视频 manufacturing has been given a major boost after HS2 Ltd confirmed that a Hitachi and Alstom joint venture has been awarded the deal to build the fastest trains ever produced in Britain.
The landmark contracts 鈥 worth about 拢2bn 鈥 will see Hitachi launch construction in Newton Aycliffe, alongside Alstom鈥檚 operations in Derby, with the deal set to support 2,500 jobs across the 海角视频.
The deal will see the JV design, build and maintain a fleet of 54 state-of-the-art high speed trains that will operate on HS2 - the new high-speed railway being built between London, the West Midlands and Crewe.
Read more:Find more transport and HS2 news here
The fully electric trains will also run on the existing network to places such as Glasgow, Liverpool, Manchester and the North West and will build on the latest technology from the Japanese Shinkansen 鈥榖ullet train鈥 and European high-speed network.
HS2 Ltd said the will be some of the fastest, quietest and most energy efficient high-speed trains operating anywhere in the world.
The first train is expected to roll off the production line around 2027. Following a rigorous process of testing and commissioning, the first passengers are expected to be carried between 2029 and 2033.
Andrew Barr, group CEO, Hitachi Rail said: 鈥淲e are excited to be pioneering the next generation of high speed rail in the 海角视频 as part of our joint venture with Alstom. This British-built bullet train will be the fastest in Europe, and I am proud of the role that Hitachi will play in helping to improve mobility in the 海角视频 through this project.鈥
News of the deal was welcomed by the North East England Chamber of Commerce.
Policy director Jonathan Walker said: 鈥淭his is fantastic news for Hitachi and the North East as a whole. The factory is a hugely important employer and contributor to the local economy and this decision is a reflection of the esteem in which it is held."
Transport secretary Grant Shapps had to pull out of the announcement of the joint venture at Hilatchi鈥檚 Newton Aycliffe factory to self-isolate, after coming into contact earlier in the week with the Australian Deputy Prime Minister, who has since tested positive for coronavirus.
Speaking to The Journal via video link from his home, he said: 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 amazingly exciting for Newton Aycliffe,County Durham and the whole of the North East. This is 2,500 jobs which will spread between Hitachi and Alstom and it鈥檚 a very big deal鈥 拢2bn, 54 state-of-the-art high-speed trains, the first ever designed and built in this country, so we鈥檙e really excited and I think it鈥檚 a huge boon for the North East.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know the exact balance of jobs but clearly it鈥檚 a very large contract and there will also be 12 years of maintenance as well so this is a big deal, and I suspect they will say it is many hundreds if not thousands of jobs which will be new I imagine.
鈥淔or the first stage these trains will be running from London to Birmingham to Crewe. Just last week I announced the expansion of HS2 rail with a further three lines - Crewe to Manchester, Warrington to Manchester and then West Yorkshire, and then West Midlands to the East Midlands, where all these trains will need to be built and will need to be maintained as well, so I think we can assume this is the start of something which goes on for a very long time.
鈥淎 high speed network like this isn鈥檛 being built for the next 10 or 20 years, this is being built for hundreds of years.鈥
The deal marks a bittersweet win for the North East, coming just weeks after Transport Secretary Grant Shapps confirmed that the eastern leg of HS2 was being scrapped while the planned Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) was being curtailed.
The government鈥檚 Integrated Rail Plan was published to widespread fury across the North, when Whitehall instead said it would instead replace large parts of a promised new line from Manchester to Leeds via Bradford with 鈥榰pgrades鈥 of the existing route.
However, Mr Shapps said: 鈥淭here鈥檚 been a lot of misinformation about what people describe as the eastern leg being scrapped. It鈥檚 not being scrapped. First of all we are physcially building high-speed rail West Midlands to East Midlands, that鈥檚 35% of that route. Secondly the plan is to bring those trains up to Sheffield 鈥 actual HS2 rolling stock, those trains 鈥 into Leeds and even without all of that we are also electrifying the Midlands main line and also the East Coast mainline, of most interest to the North East, meaning that all the journeys will be faster.
鈥淥ur commitment to the North East is second to none and all of those journeys coming south will be faster as a result of what we have just announced as well.鈥
Hitachi Rail has recently completed a 拢8.5m investment in new welding and painting facilities at the plant, where the 432 HS2 bodyshells will be manufactured.
The second stage of fit out and testing will be done at Alstom鈥檚 Litchurch Lane factory in Derby.
HS2 Ltd chief executive Mark Thurston added: 鈥淭oday is a massive day for HS2. The trains that will be built in Derby, Newton Aycliffe and Crewe will transform rail travel 鈥 offering passengers unparalleled levels of reliability, speed and comfort and help in the fight against climate change. I鈥檇 like to congratulate Alstom and Hitachi and I look forward to working with them as together we bring these exciting new trains to passengers across the 海角视频.鈥
Alstom鈥檚 managing director, 海角视频 & Ireland, Nick Crossfield said: 鈥淗S2 is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform Britain by building a sustainable transport system fit for the 21st Century. I am delighted that Alstom鈥檚 joint venture with Hitachi Rail has been selected to develop, build and maintain in Britain the next generation of high-speed trains.鈥
Sign up for your daily BusinessLive North East newsletter
You can get all the day's business news from the North East sent to your email inbox each morning.
By signing up here, we will deliver the headlines from companies in Tyne and Wear, Northumberland, County Durham and Teesside straight to your email inbox every morning.
Our specialist team of business writers will bring you stories from a range of sectors, reporting on companies large and small.
