Transport Secretary to meet with Hitachi over Newton Aycliffe plant future

The Transport Secretary will meet with Hitachi officials over the future of the at-risk rail manufacturing plant in County Durham.

Louise Haigh will meet with bosses from the Japanese company amid uncertainty over its factory in Newton Aycliffe due to a gap in orders.

During the election campaign, Ms Haigh said the government could have secured the future of the site - and the jobs of the 750 people who work there - "with the stroke of a pen" by extending Hitachi contracts.

However, since Labour's landslide victory in the General Election, no measures to support the plant have been announced despite the Department for Transport saying it was “urgently exploring options”.

Ahead of the 'introductory' meeting in London since taking up her new post, the transport secretary insisted that she would “work swiftly with Hitachi” to protect jobs.

She added: “I am absolutely committed to supporting rail manufacturing in the U.K. and developing a long term strategy to secure the industry’s sustainable future.

“We know how important rail manufacturing is to this region, which is why this Government won’t sit on our hands. The Department for Transport will work swiftly with Hitachi over the coming months on options to safeguard jobs and secure a sustainable future for manufacturing at Newton Aycliffe.”

Previously, Labour has said it would make variations to Hitachi’s current contracts to head off the looming production gap ahead of an expected decline in work from this October, as well as bringing forward new procurement opportunities.

Saving the Hitachi factory was top of a wishlist sent by North East mayor Kim McGuinness to Sir Keir after the election, while on a visit to Darlington's Treasury campus, Chancellor Rachel Reeves said she was “absolutely determined to keep those good jobs at Hitachi”.

In a letter to local MPs this week, Rail minister Lord Hendy said the new government was working on a long-term strategy in a bid to “end the current boom-and-bust cycle” in train production.

He added: “I share your concerns about the situation currently facing Hitachi’s train manufacturing workforce in Newton Aycliffe.

"As you know, we are committed to protecting UK rail manufacturing jobs and to securing a long-term sustainable future for Newton Aycliffe, and we are urgently exploring options to support jobs at Newton Aycliffe.”

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