Hitachi Rail has invested £8.5 million to create bespoke welding and painting facilities within its Newton Aycliffe factory, thereby extending its UK role from assembly-only to the complete fabrication and fit-out of units - the first time in decades that a new train welding facility of this type has been created in Britain. Atlas Copco’s successful bid for the design and installation of the 450metre compressed air and argon supply network has played an important role in the company’s on-shoring of crucial high-value aspects of its manufacturing process.
In 2015, Hitachi Rail’s £110 million investment established its highly advanced Northeast manufacturing base with a 700 strong workforce to build 122 pioneering trains as part of the UK government’s Intercity Express Programme, along with 70 zero-emission Class 385 regional trains for Scotland.
The new welding and painting facility now allows Hitachi Rail to complete the build of the high-tech aluminium carriage shells of the next generation of intercity trains for East Midlands Railway and Avanti West.
"We can now design, fabricate, paint, assemble and test trains at this facility, allowing us to be more globally competitive, with the capacity to build a wide range of products, from metros to commuter and high-speed trains."