The Government has urged Transpennine Express to restore its tarnished image in the North by relocating train production to Durham. Kim McGuinness, a mayoral candidate for the Labour Party, has requested that Transpennine Express awards the construction of its forthcoming contract for new rolling stock to Hitachi, a company based in the North East. Promoting the use of a northern workforce to create trains that will serve the North, McGuinness highlighted Transpennine’s poor performance in recent years and emphasized that selecting a northern train manufacturer to build these trains would do much to earn back the trust of customers in the area.
Hitachi, which is based in Newton Aycliffe and employs 750 people, remains in limbo as it awaits the government’s notification about extending an existing contract. Kim McGuinness has written to Transpennine ahead of its tendering decision for 29 new electric trains, calling for the government-controlled train operator to appoint the only train manufacturer in the North East. As Hitachi contributes £413m to the North East economy and employs both directly and indirectly 2,150 people, it is a critical part of the region’s reputation as a manufacturing stronghold. McGuinness emphasized the opportunities to improve the economic, social, and environmental conditions of an area with consideration of social value in awarding public contracts, declaring Transpennine’s responsibility to outline how it will meet such commitments.
McGuinness has met with the workforce of Hitachi and has seen how the company’s manufacturing in Newton Aycliffe is essential to the local economy. Nevertheless, the workers have been waiting for two years for the government’s decision on whether to extend their existing contract so that they can produce new rolling stock at the Newton Aycliffe factory. According to McGuinness’s visit to the factory, only 57 trains worth of production are currently available, highlighting the need for new contracts to keep the workforce in employment.
Overall, the appointment of a northern train manufacturer could well be the biggest commitment that Transpennine can make to repay its debt to the North. McGuinness’s call to appoint Hitachi would improve the performance and reputation of Transpennine, secure jobs for the Hitachi workforce, and contribute to the economic growth of the North East.
The Government has urged Transpennine Express to restore its tarnished image in the North by relocating train production to Durham. Kim McGuinness, a mayoral candidate for the Labour Party, has requested that Transpennine Express awards the construction of its forthcoming contract for new rolling stock to Hitachi, a company based in the North East. Promoting the use of a northern workforce to create trains that will serve the North, McGuinness highlighted Transpennine’s poor performance in recent years and emphasized that selecting a northern train manufacturer to build these trains would do much to earn back the trust of customers in the area.
Hitachi, which is based in Newton Aycliffe and employs 750 people, remains in limbo as it awaits the government’s notification about extending an existing contract. Kim McGuinness has written to Transpennine ahead of its tendering decision for 29 new electric trains, calling for the government-controlled train operator to appoint the only train manufacturer in the North East. As Hitachi contributes £413m to the North East economy and employs both directly and indirectly 2,150 people, it is a critical part of the region’s reputation as a manufacturing stronghold. McGuinness emphasized the opportunities to improve the economic, social, and environmental conditions of an area with consideration of social value in awarding public contracts, declaring Transpennine’s responsibility to outline how it will meet such commitments.
McGuinness has met with the workforce of Hitachi and has seen how the company’s manufacturing in Newton Aycliffe is essential to the local economy. Nevertheless, the workers have been waiting for two years for the government’s decision on whether to extend their existing contract so that they can produce new rolling stock at the Newton Aycliffe factory. According to McGuinness’s visit to the factory, only 57 trains worth of production are currently available, highlighting the need for new contracts to keep the workforce in employment.
Overall, the appointment of a northern train manufacturer could well be the biggest commitment that Transpennine can make to repay its debt to the North. McGuinness’s call to appoint Hitachi would improve the performance and reputation of Transpennine, secure jobs for the Hitachi workforce, and contribute to the economic growth of the North East.