Hitachi keen to use Newton Aycliffe as export base
Trains from the Intercity Express Project platform could be built in Britain for export, according to Hitachi.
During a discussion on how rail can help the economy recover from the COVID-19 crisis, as part of a High Speed Rail Group webinar on June 16, Hitachi Head of Business Development Barrie Cottam said the company would like to build trains at Newton Aycliffe for export markets, adding: “The export market needs a secure footing in its home country.”
When the County Durham facility was first announced back in 2009, the Japanese manufacturer said it hoped the site would be used to build trains for around the world. RAIL understands that consideration was recently given to bidding for an American deal with UK-assembled trains.
Cottam said he believes that what the Japanese company did with the Government-specified IEP contract in terms of construction, maintenance and ongoing support is similar to what will be needed for the High Speed 2 fleet.
Newton Aycliffe has increased the level of work it does on train assembly, with five Class 803/0s for East Coast Trains arriving from Japan as mere bodyshells. Previous orders had arrived with more components pre-fitted.
Ross Nagle, Hitachi Rail Chief Operating Officer, Rolling Stock UK, said: “The increased skills of our workforce makes us well placed to deliver a number of highly significant orders over the next 12 months, and consolidate our place as a strategic North East manufacturing hub.”
The IEP deal uses Hitachi’s
AT300 high-speed train platform. Bi-mode trains or all-electric trains are available, with plans for alternatively powered sets as well.
As well as the Governmentspecified Class 800/801 fleets, Hitachi has delivered 22 five-car and 14 nine-car Class 802s for Great Western Railway, 19 five-car Class 802/2s for TransPennine Express, and five five-car Class 802/3s for Hull Trains. All are from the AT300 design.
The IEP orders (122 trains, comprising 57 for GWR and 65 for LNER) were placed by Government in a £5.7 billion deal that also included new depots (Doncaster, Stoke Gifford, Swansea Maliphant and rebuilding North Pole), as well as Hitachi taking over existing sites at Bounds Green and Craigentinny.
Hitachi opened its Newton Aycliffe facility in 2015 and has since assembled trains there for GWR, LNER and ScotRail. Delays to the latter meant plans to assemble TPE Class 802s at the site were scrapped, and these were instead built in Japan and Italy.
Currently the final five LNER Azumas are on site, while work is under way on the East Coast Trains ‘803s’. Beyond that, Newton Aycliffe has orders for 33 Class 810s for East Midlands Railway as well as 13 Class 805s and ten Class 807s for Avanti West Coast. In total, 325 vehicles are still to be assembled at the site.
Hitachi is also bidding in a joint venture with Bombardier for the 54 classic-compatible HS2 trains, with the winner expected to be announced in spring 2021.