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25/07/2012
£4.5bn Railway Contract To Create 900 Jobs
A £4.5bn contract to build and maintain new inter-city trains will also see the creation of more than 900 new jobs, the Department for Transport has said.
Agility Trains - a consortium made up of Japanese firm Hitachi and UK builder John Laing - will build 92 new trains, consisting of 596 new carriages, at a new factory in County Durham.
New maintenance depots will also be built in Bristol, Swansea and Doncaster.
Agility was announced as preferred bidder for the Intercity Express Programme (IEP) in early 2009, but after a series of delays it has taken more than three years for the deal to be finalised.
The project, to replace the Intercity 125 trains, will not only create new jobs but also safeguard thousands more.
A total of 730 skilled jobs will be created at Newton Aycliffe with a further 200 created during construction of the factory itself, where Hitachi will assemble a fleet of 92 complete trains.
The company will also locate its European rail research and development capabilities on the site, which will enhance the factory's ability to win rail contracts across Europe.
The transport secretary, Justine Greening, said: "A new train factory is fantastic news for Britain and will be welcomed by everyone who wants to see a thriving UK manufacturing sector.
"The decision to build almost 600 new intercity train carriages is great for rail passengers who will experience faster and more comfortable journeys when travelling across Britain on the east coast and Great Western mainlines."
(H)
Agility Trains - a consortium made up of Japanese firm Hitachi and UK builder John Laing - will build 92 new trains, consisting of 596 new carriages, at a new factory in County Durham.
New maintenance depots will also be built in Bristol, Swansea and Doncaster.
Agility was announced as preferred bidder for the Intercity Express Programme (IEP) in early 2009, but after a series of delays it has taken more than three years for the deal to be finalised.
The project, to replace the Intercity 125 trains, will not only create new jobs but also safeguard thousands more.
A total of 730 skilled jobs will be created at Newton Aycliffe with a further 200 created during construction of the factory itself, where Hitachi will assemble a fleet of 92 complete trains.
The company will also locate its European rail research and development capabilities on the site, which will enhance the factory's ability to win rail contracts across Europe.
The transport secretary, Justine Greening, said: "A new train factory is fantastic news for Britain and will be welcomed by everyone who wants to see a thriving UK manufacturing sector.
"The decision to build almost 600 new intercity train carriages is great for rail passengers who will experience faster and more comfortable journeys when travelling across Britain on the east coast and Great Western mainlines."
(H)
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