• Home
  • History
  • News
  • Business
    • Business News
    • Business Mag
  • Sport
    • Football
    • NAFC
    • Cricket
    • Durham Wildcats
    • American Football
    • Baseball
    • Rugby
    • Youth Football
  • Features
    • Blog
    • Picture Galleries
  • Community
    • A.T People
    • Services Directory
  • Video
  • Contact
  • Advertise
Aycliffe Today
Aycliffe Today
  • Home
  • History
  • News
  • Business
    • Business News
      Award-winners BTS are net zero heroes

      Award-winners BTS are net zero heroes

      PCP chief proud to get award recognition

      PCP chief proud to get award recognition

      Lifetime Achievement Award is ‘crowning’ moment for Brian

      Lifetime Achievement Award is ‘crowning’ moment for Brian

      Husqvarna UK a cut above the rest with Company of the Year award

      Husqvarna UK a cut above the rest with Company of the Year award

    • Business Mag
      Aycliffe Business: Issue 72

      Aycliffe Business: Issue 72

      Aycliffe Business: Issue 71

      Aycliffe Business: Issue 71

      Aycliffe Business: Issue 70

      Aycliffe Business: Issue 70

      Aycliffe Business: Issue 69

      Aycliffe Business: Issue 69

  • Sport
    • Football
      Aycliffe Youthy round-up

      Aycliffe Youthy round-up

      Aycliffe stay third with 4-0 away win

      Aycliffe stay third with 4-0 away win

      Aycliffe go top with four wins from first four games

      Aycliffe go top with four wins from first four games

      Unbeaten start for Sports Club

      Unbeaten start for Sports Club

    • NAFC
      Aycliffe narrowly miss out on play-off place – but achieve record league finish

      Aycliffe narrowly miss out on play-off place – but achieve record league finish

      Aycliffe’s play-off push on track – last home game Easter Monday!

      Aycliffe’s play-off push on track – last home game Easter Monday!

      Aycliffe boost play-off hopes with win in Leeds

      Aycliffe boost play-off hopes with win in Leeds

      Aycliffe’s play-off hopes boosted by back-to-back wins

      Aycliffe’s play-off hopes boosted by back-to-back wins

    • Cricket
      Aycliffe Cricket round-up

      Aycliffe Cricket round-up

      Aycliffe Cricket round-up

      Aycliffe Cricket round-up

      Aycliffe Cricket round-up

      Aycliffe Cricket round-up

      Aycliffe Cricket round-up

      Aycliffe Cricket round-up

    • Durham Wildcats
      WILDCATS FIGHTBACK TO SECURE CUP WIN

      WILDCATS FIGHTBACK TO SECURE CUP WIN

      WOLVES EDGE IT AGAINST WILDCATS

      WOLVES EDGE IT AGAINST WILDCATS

      DURHAM WILDCATS 73, GLASGOW ROCKS 99

      DURHAM WILDCATS 73, GLASGOW ROCKS 99

      WILDCATS SLAY LIONS AGAIN

      WILDCATS SLAY LIONS AGAIN

    • American Football
      WARRIORS BEAT AMERICAN HIGH SCHOOL

      WARRIORS BEAT AMERICAN HIGH SCHOOL

      WARRIORS START SEASON IN STYLE!

      WARRIORS START SEASON IN STYLE!

      WOODHAM WARRIORS VICTORIOUS

      WOODHAM WARRIORS VICTORIOUS

      WARRIORS COACH TO TRAIN GB SQUAD

      WARRIORS COACH TO TRAIN GB SQUAD

    • Baseball
      Aycliffe Cricket round-up

      Aycliffe Cricket round-up

      COUNCILLORS 'PITCH' FOR LOCAL SPORTS CLUB!

      COUNCILLORS 'PITCH' FOR LOCAL SPORTS CLUB!

      SPARTANS UP FOR TOP AWARD

      SPARTANS UP FOR TOP AWARD

      NEWTON AYCLIFFE SPARTANS AT WOODHAM

      NEWTON AYCLIFFE SPARTANS AT WOODHAM

    • Rugby
      Aycliffe fall to heavy defeat against league leaders

      Aycliffe fall to heavy defeat against league leaders

      Aycliffe notch up another loss in local derby

      Aycliffe notch up another loss in local derby

      Rugby: Aycliffe in bottom two after Whitley Bay defeat

      Rugby: Aycliffe in bottom two after Whitley Bay defeat

      Aycliffe return to winning ways with hard-fought victory over Bishop

      Aycliffe return to winning ways with hard-fought victory over Bishop

    • Youth Football
      Aycliffe Juniors round-up

      Aycliffe Juniors round-up

      Newton Aycliffe Juniors round-up

      Newton Aycliffe Juniors round-up

      Aycliffe Juniors round-up

      Aycliffe Juniors round-up

      Aycliffe Juniors round-up

      Aycliffe Juniors round-up

  • Features
    • Blog
      Covid-19 crisis update from your MP

      Covid-19 crisis update from your MP

      ‘Now we must move forward’ says MP

      ‘Now we must move forward’ says MP

      Business Advice: Cash Flow

      Business Advice: Cash Flow

      The Aycliffe Blue Blog

      The Aycliffe Blue Blog

    • Picture Galleries
      Picture Gallery: Duke of Kent visits Ebac

      Picture Gallery: Duke of Kent visits Ebac

      PICTURES: Hitachi Opening Ceremony

      PICTURES: Hitachi Opening Ceremony

      PICTURES: ROF 59 in progress

      PICTURES: ROF 59 in progress

      PICTURES: Ayclife dancers in national finals

      PICTURES: Ayclife dancers in national finals

  • Community
    • A.T People
      Spring 2015

      Spring 2015

      December 2014

      December 2014

      Aug - Sept 2014

      Aug - Sept 2014

    • Services Directory
  • Video
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Follow
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Youtube
Home
Business

HITACHI’S FIRST CLASS 800 TRAIN ARRIVES IN UK

March 12th, 2015 Martin Walker Business 0 comments 4843

top banner

Class 800 arrival Southampton 4

By Martin Walker

Hitachi Rail Europe’s first pre-series Class 800 train for the Intercity Express Programme (IEP) arrived in the UK today.

Rail Minister Claire Perry today celebrated the arrival of the carriage at the Port of Southampton.

Train 800-001 is the first five-car pre-series train to be shipped to the UK from Japan, with 110 trains for the £5.7bn Department for Transport scheme being built at the Hitachi Rail Vehicle Manufacturing Facility in Newton Aycliffe.

Previously, Hitachi had welcomed its first training carriage, which arrived on Aycliffe Business Park last month and is currently in-situ at South West Durham Training.

During today’s ceremony, attendees were invited quayside to view the unloading of the iconic train carriages from the ship the ‘Tamerlane’. The ship is a roll-on, roll-off vessel, and the carriages were hauled off using a tractor.

Speeches were then given by Rail Minister Claire Perry, Keiichi Hayashi, Japanese Ambassador to the UK Government, Andy Barr, Chief Operating Officer, Hitachi Rail Europe and Christopher Connor, Chief Executive Officer, Wallenius Wilhelmsen.

Rail Minister Claire Perry said: “It is hugely exciting to witness the arrival of the first state-of-the-art IEP train on British soil.

“These trains will transform rail travel for passengers travelling between many of the great towns and cities of England, Scotland and Wales; provide a massive jobs boost for Britain and deliver billions of pounds of benefits for our economy.

“We are investing record amounts building a world-class railway that provides more seats, more services and better journeys.

“IEP trains are a crucial part of this and it is fantastic that we are on track for the new fleet to enter service on schedule.”

Hitachi COO Andy Barr said: “The arrival of the first train here in the UK is a major achievement for everybody involved in building this train – our colleagues in Japan, our UK suppliers and also the team from Newton Aycliffe, who worked on this train in Japan to hone their train-building skills.”

The punctual arrival of this pre-series train marks the completion of yet another successful milestone in the project.

Train 800-001, which left Hitachi Rail’s Kasado Works in Kudamatsu City, Japan, on January 7, is evidence of Hitachi’s strong commitment to the UK supply chain.

It has been built with the help of almost 30 UK-based suppliers and many more from the rest of Europe.

Representatives of these companies from across the different UK regions attended the event, including DCA Design International (interior design), Manchester-based Lucchini (wheelsets), Lincolnshire-based Emoinox (exhaust systems), Derby-based Dellner (gangways and couplers), Knorr Bremse in Somerset (brake systems) and Worcester-based Arrowvale (driver’s safety device).

Hitachi Rail Europe also sees Train 800-001 as a ‘technology transfer vehicle,’ with staff from the Newton Aycliffe factory in the UK having spent around 3,000 man-hours working alongside the staff in Kasado, building the train.

As the project enters this latest phase, these employees are bringing their knowledge back to the North East to pass on to the UK workforce, allowing them to hone their train-building skills.

This pre-series train is scheduled to begin running tests, as well as serving for training of onboard staff, from April of this year. This will take place on a closed circuit at Old Dalby testing facility and in a Signal Protected Zone (SPZ) on the East Coast Main Line.

The Intercity Express Programme is a £5.7bn Government project to replace the Intercity 125 and Intercity 225 fleets on the East Coast and Great Western Main Lines with new high-speed trains. Hitachi Rail Europe, as part of the Agility Trains consortium, has been contracted to provide the design, build, finance and maintenance of rolling stock, over a 27.5 year period, of 122 trains on the programme.

Trains destined for the Great Western Main Line will be introduced in 2017. The East Coast Main Line will see its new trains go into passenger service in 2018. The final delivery of all trains for the Great Western and East Coast Main Lines will be completed by 2020.

Hitachi’s £82m factory in Aycliffe is expected to open in the Autumn.

 

top banner

Share it!

Facebook Twitter Google+ LinkedIn Pinterest
Next article LEARNER DRIVERS LEFT OUT OF POCKET BY INSTRUCTOR
Previous article AMBITIOUS ACCOUNTANTS TARGET BIG GROWTH

Related News

Award-winners BTS are net zero heroes Business
May 21st, 2025

Award-winners BTS are net zero heroes

PCP chief proud to get award recognition Business
May 20th, 2025

PCP chief proud to get award recognition

Lifetime Achievement Award is ‘crowning’ moment for Brian Business
May 15th, 2025

Lifetime Achievement Award is ‘crowning’ moment for Brian

LATEST VIDEO

This week on A.T

May 21st 1:52 PM
Business

Award-winners BTS are net zero heroes

May 21st 11:37 AM
News

Durham County Council appoints new leader

May 20th 8:03 PM
Business

PCP chief proud to get award recognition

May 20th 5:01 PM
Sport

Aycliffe Cricket round-up

May 15th 11:39 AM
Business

Lifetime Achievement Award is ‘crowning’ moment for Brian

May 12th 11:50 AM
Business

Husqvarna UK a cut above the rest with Company of the Year award

May 12th 8:42 AM
Business

300 guests celebrate Aycliffe Make Your Mark Awards

May 2nd 9:28 PM
News

Farage tells council diversity and climate staff to ‘find alternative careers’ after County Durham majority

May 2nd 6:44 PM
News

Four new councillors as Reform UK sweeps into Aycliffe power

Apr 30th 3:54 PM
Business

Aycliffe Business: Issue 72

Recommend
Follow @AycliffeToday
  • Home
  • History
  • News
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Features
  • Community
  • Video
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Back to top
© Aycliffe Today 2019. All rights reserved.
Developed by Thrive