Hitachi in Newton Aycliffe unveil UK-first intercity battery train

New battery powered trains could be the key to saving the factory, and are now part of talks with government to help prevent its closure and protect hundreds of jobs, The Northern Echo understands.

The train-builder announced yesterday (Thursday, November 7) it had finished tests on the UK’s first battery train capable of running on routes nationwide, while slashing emissions and cutting fuel costs by up to 50 per cent for operators.

It was completed at the Newton Aycliffe factory after a £17m investment.

The County Durham plant has an uncertain future with a fast approaching gap in its order book putting more than 700 jobs there at risk within months.

The Northern Echo has been campaigning to ‘Keep Hitachi on Track’ since March, after the newspaper helped bring the Japanese firm to County Durham in 2010. The Government and Hitachi have been in talks for months.

Batteries using the same tech as in electric cars are built in Sunderland, transported to the Newton Aycliffe factory and fitted to the underside of trains.

One of the batteries made in Sunderland which is mounted under the train. (Image: DANIEL HORDON) Jim Brewin, Hitachi Rail UK Chief Director, told reporters: “There is a myriad of options now on the table that we’re talking to government about.

“This battery trial gives us another conversation we can have around what’s possible for the future of the factory.

“There’s lots of positives there and good conversations we’re having at the moment.

The batteries being fitted to the underside of the train. (Image: Hitachi) “What we have now is confirmed results. This works. It’s ready.

“Six months ago we were confident, but now it is confirmed.

“It's another avenue, and that retrofit market, the ability to bring trains back and fit batteries in replace of diesel. What we’re saying today is we are ready to do that. That’s an opportunity moving forward.”

Hitachi Rail CEO Giuseppe Marino and North East Mayor Kim McGuinness. (Image: PR) Asked for an update on how talks with Government are progressing he said: “I want to say a major thank you to all involved from a government perspective. It’s really positive, you’ve seen the support we got in relation to the factory. We’ve had people here really positive about what we do and understand this factory very well.

“We are hopeful that will come to something positive for everyone involved. They’re not simple things these, orders don’t drop from trees.

“This opportunity gives us another avenue which gives us a lot of positivity in respect of what could happen.”

Workers at Newton Aycliffe took a Transpennine Express train which was nearly written off in an incident at the Heaton depot near Newcastle three years ago and replaced diesel engines with batteries after months of repair work. It will soon return to service.

The train involved in the trial was almost written off in 2022 after an incident at the Heaton depot. Rail Minister Lord Hendy had planned to attend the event yesterday but was not present.

Newton Aycliffe MP Alan Strickland told The Northern Echo: “Ministers' diaries are very busy, they change regularly. Lord Hendy is fully committed to this, he’s given very supportive comments to what’s going on and I will be keen to meet him shortly to tell him what I’ve seen first-hand today.”

Alan Strickland. (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

He added: “The innovation that we’re seeing here at Newton Aycliffe with the future of battery technology in rail is absolutely fantastic.

“What we have seen since the election is a real increase in the pace of what’s going on to try to safeguard the future of this factory.

“As local MPs we will keep the pressure on to make sure things keep going in the right direction.”

Lord Hendy said in a statement: “Rail is already the most environmentally friendly form of public transport, and the success of this trial will pave the way for even greener, more reliable journeys for millions of passengers.

(Image: Hitachi) “This technology will play a vital role as we deliver our ambitious plans to transform and decarbonise the railways, and it could open the door to a more affordable expansion of the network for communities across the country.”

Tests of the train surpassed expectations, Hitachi said, with fuel savings of between 35 per cent and 50 per cent, and just one battery powering it to speeds of more than 75mph. Based on real-world data, such a train could run as far as 150km.

Batteries did not fail once during hours of test runs and drivers need no special training.

Recommended reading:

• 'Active' talks on saving Hitachi ongoing as officials 'working hard and at pace'
• If Hitachi can be saved with the stroke of a pen, has the Government run out of ink?
• The Hitachi crisis: How it happened and everything said so far

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Battery trains could be key to slashing diesel use on the railways and CO2 emissions ahead of net-zero targets, with the only other main option of installing overhead wires across the entire UK network thought to cost tens of billions of pounds.

Retrofitting the batteries on existing trains could take just four weeks, and new builds would take no longer to get out of the factory than their diesel alternatives.

North East Mayor Kim McGuinness added: “We know this place has a really bright future. What everybody is agreed on is that we need to keep it here, we need to keep the skilled workforce here and we need to keep this factory to keep creating and innovating.”

Kim McGuinness at the factory on Thursday. (Image: PR) During the election campaign Labour backed our Northern Echo Manifesto, which included stepping in to save Hitachi, and our ‘Keep Hitachi on Track’ campaign was backed by now-PM Sir Keir Starmer, North East Mayor Kim McGuinness and Chancellor Rachel Reeves.

But last week hopes of a deal to help secure the plant’s future being announced in the Chancellor’s first Budget went unanswered.