NEWS COMMENT
TEST BED
Hitachi start running checks on Avanti West Coast ’ s new fleet
The first of Avanti West Coast ’ s new fleet of trains has entered static testing at Hitachi Rail ’ s Newton Aycliffe factory .
In a major milestone for the £ 350m project , carriages from a Class 805 bi-mode train are being coupled together to mark the start of the extensive testing programme ahead of the planned entry into service in 2023 .
All basic functionality of the train – from brakes to engines , doors to toilets – will be put through their paces prior to the start of dynamic testing later in the year , when the trains will move under their own power for the first time .
The new fleet will be a mix of 10 sevencarriage electric trains and 13 five-carriage
AYCLIFFE PLASTICS FIRM ’ S £ 100K INVESTMENT
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Newton Aycliffe injection moulding firm says it plans to double turnover to £ 4m after receiving grant support .
Formula Plastics has worked with NEL Fund Managers to bring in a £ 100,000 investment from the North East Small Loan Fund , supported by the European Regional Development Fund , via the Recovery Loan Scheme , as it looks to regain ground lost during the pandemic .
The Aycliffe Business Park-based firm manufactures high tolerance precision components which are used by companies in a growing range of sectors , including automotive , engineering , lighting and electronics .
Having diversified its customer base and enhanced its business development resources ,
Hitachi has started testing the Avanti West Coast fleet at its Aycliffe factory .
bi-mode trains , with the ability to switch seamlessly between electric and diesel power .
The electric trains ( Class 807 ) will operate between London , the West Midlands and Liverpool while the bi-mode version will be focused on the London to North Wales route . The new Hitachi trains offer more space and a quieter journey compared to the dieselonly Voyager trains they replace .
Jim Brewin , head of UK and Ireland at Hitachi Rail , said : “ Our teams across the UK are working tenaciously to deliver more Hitachi intercity trains , which are proven to boost reliability and performance .
“ We look forward to Avanti passengers experiencing the transformation that follows the introduction of this brand new fleet .”
Pictured above ( left ) John Suggate and ( right ) Geoff Hodgson of Formula Plastics with Jonathan Armitage of NEL Fund Managers .
Formula Plastics is now aiming to take its current £ 2m turnover up to around £ 4m by the end of next year , with up to 20 new jobs set to be created as the business grows .
The firm ’ s chairman John Suggate said : “ In common with many companies , the last few years have proved challenging for us , but we ’ re now seeing signs of improvement across all the sectors in which we ’ re active and want to capitalise on the opportunities this provides .”
PEOPLE KEY TO AWARDS SUCCESS
Is it possible to build a true community from nothing ? From empty warehouses and empty roads , where the rubbish blows through , and the rents are dirt cheap ? The answer is a defiant YES ! I ’ ve been pondering this since hearing Paul Stiller speak from the heart about how an unloved area of the North-East became the place where our future trains are built , where space technology is developed , where masks were made that saved countless lives during Covid .
The story behind the birth of a business park isn ’ t usually one filled with such emotion , where competitors end up working together for the greater good .
It happened at the start of Aycliffe . Just as litter picks transformed pride , conversations transformed relationships that hold strong to this day .
The winner of the big prize at the recent Make Your Mark Awards – 3M – even did a roll-call of all the suppliers and customers on the park who ’ d helped them grow .
The man giving that speech ( Paul Hind ) grew up nearby , so he knows what a successful business community can also do for local families and their future aspirations . Good business is always about people . That ’ s what makes Aycliffe Business Park stand out . Rarely do you have such impassioned sponsor speeches at an event , but the Make Your Mark Awards provided that narrative in spades . It was a wonderful night of story-telling onstage and at the tables .
Congratulations to everyone who was nominated and who lifted a trophy on the night . I can ’ t wait to hear about the next chapter .
Read more about the Make Your Mark Awards on pages 21-33 .
Charlie Charlton Freelance presenter / broadcaster Host , Make Your Mark Awards 2022
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