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Hitachi Rail starts welding new British trains as investment in Aycliffe site tops £ 110m
Hitachi Rail ’ s investment at its Newton Aycliffe factory – which now totals £ 110m – sees new facilities completed , allowing welding and painting to start on brand new UK passenger trains .
New welding and painting facilities will be used to build the next generation of intercity trains for East Midlands Railway and Avanti West Coast .
Around 40 staff and newly-graduated welders and painters will be completing the high-tech aluminium carriage shells , which are a signature of Hitachi ’ s intercity fleets .
The Aycliffe Business Park train builder has invested £ 8.5m to create bespoke welding and painting facilities within the factory .
This on-shoring of crucial high value aspects of the manufacturing process is further evidence of Hitachi Rail ’ s long-term commitment to the region .
It is also the first time in decades that a new train welding facility has been created in Britain , with over 230 carriages due to be welded at Newton Aycliffe .
The investment has also involved an extensive upskilling programme for staff and apprentices , including an eight-week initial training programme for welding certification , then further training to obtain additional specialist qualifications .
This new training has created a new skillsbase that will benefit the workforce and the factory , delivering current and future projects .
The firm established its highly advanced North-East manufacturing base , with its 700 strong workforce , in 2015 , to build 122 pioneering trains as part of the Government ’ s Intercity Express Programme , along with 70 zero-emission Class 385 regional trains for Scotland .
Since then , Hitachi Rail has focused on localising its supply chain in the UK with which it has already spent £ 1.8bn since 2013 , which includes over 130 separate North-East suppliers .
The new manufacturing capabilities at the factory are allowing Hitachi Rail to further expand its UK supply chain .
New domestic suppliers include AES in
Glasgow , Airblast in Peterborough and KM Tools in Stoke-on-Trent . Meanwhile , the expansion in scope of Newton Aycliffe has resulted in Hitachi Rail increasing its existing relationship with North-East firms such as Dyer Engineering and Hydram Engineering .
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps MP said : “ It is fitting that Hitachi Rail are building the next generation of intercity trains in County Durham , a place with a proud and illustrious railway heritage .
“ Their long-term commitment and continued investment in the North East is a major boost for jobs and skills , driving economic growth and helping levelling up our country as we build back better from the pandemic .”
Jim Brewin , head of UK and Ireland for Hitachi Rail , said : “ The £ 110m we have now invested at Newton Aycliffe is not only a sign of our continued commitment to the North-East of England but also British manufacturing and its supply chain .
“ At the heart of our commitment is the continued development of a highly-skilled and dynamic workforce , which through our South Durham Technical University College partnership and 70 apprenticeships will drive the rail industry forward at home and abroad for many years to come .”
The new welding and painting facility will allow the North-East factory to be more globally competitive , with the capacity to export a wide range of products from metros to commuter and high-speed trains .
Target markets include northern Europe and the Middle East , with the firm ’ s increasing leadership in battery trains broadening potential opportunities .
Last year Hitachi Rail partnered with Hyperdrive Innovation to develop battery packs that can power trains and help the UK meet its Net Zero 2050 targets .
This partnership helps create a pathway for batteries to be installed at Newton Aycliffe and could make the North-East a hub for battery technology .
See pages 16-19 for our special exclusive interview and pictures with Hitachi .
BUSINESS BRIEFS
TEKMAR LANDS CHINA DEAL Newton Aycliffe-based Tekmar Energy has clinched new cable protection system ( CPS ) supply contracts for two offshore wind farm projects located in the coastal province of Guangdong in South-East China .
Under the contracts , Tekmar Energy will supply its patented TekLink mechanical latch CPS technology to protect subsea cables as they transition from the seabed through the dynamic zone at over 110 offshore turbine locations .
The contracts have a combined value of over £ 2.5m and will be delivered from Tekmar Energy ’ s manufacturing facility on Aycliffe Business Park and exported to China in 2021 .
HOMES INVESTMENT Property development company Homes by Carlton has secured major investment from FW Capital to allow it to secure the issue of highways and water authority bonds for four housing projects .
FW Capital made the Tees Valley Catalyst Fund investment of £ 518,000 which enabled the Newton Aycliffe-based firm to fulfil work on 254 homes across the region and secure six jobs .
A total of 14 exclusive homes at Cathedral Gates in Chilton , County Durham , are now completed and ready for sale .
£ 67K ENERGY GRANTS Nearly 100 businesses in County Durham have significantly improved their energy efficiency in the last year , thanks to a project which helps save on running costs by reducing carbon emissions .
Despite the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic , Durham County Council ’ s Business Energy Efficiency Project ( BEEP ) team was able to support 97 SMEs during 2020 .
Using funding awarded by the European Regional Development Fund ( ERDF ), the BEEP team offers energy efficiency advice and support , as well as grants , to help small to medium businesses ( SMEs ) make changes in their operations to reduce carbon emissions .
Within the last year , the total value of projects worked on was £ 292,000 , with £ 67,000 of this provided as energy efficiency grants to businesses .
The magazine for Aycliffe Business Park | 5