Businesses from across the region descended on Newton Aycliffe yesterday to find out how they could get involved in the Intercity Express Programme (IEP). Joe Willis reports.

IT was billed as an open day but the scenes outside resembled a football match prior to kick-off.

The car park overflowed and the crowds streamed in to the Xcel Centre, in Newton Aycliffe.

Around 1,000 representatives from 600 different companies, many based in the North-East, came along to hear what IEP could mean to them.

After years of planning, campaigning and behind-the-scenes negotiating, this was the first time many of the businesses could see for themselves the people behind the £4.5bn project.

Agility Trains chief executive Alistair Dormer said he was thrilled at the level of interest.

"This has brought it home what an exciting project this is for the region," he added.

"It's easy sat at my desk in London but to come here and see the sea of faces in front of us and here their questions is fantastic."

The event was attended by companies of all sizes - from international public limited companies to one-man bands.

Mr Dormer said he was pleased to receive one question from a man who ran a catering van.

"That's what this does," he said.

"It touches people who have a local sandwich business up to the guy who has got sophisticated computer programming machines."

The Agility boss fielded some difficult questions, including claims the site would just be an assembly line, with workers putting together parts made in Japan.

In response, he said it was not the case that there would be a "pot of molten steel in one corner of the factory and out of the other end comes a train".

He said it would be a mixture of "assembly and production", but he stressed that parts for the trains would come from UK companies.

"Hitachi has moved to the UK to be near our customers," he said.

"We want our supply chain to move to Newton Aycliffe to be near us."

Hitachi also rejected suggestions that only big companies would win contracts to supply the new plant.

An example of a small Bimringham firm that produced all the company's switches for its train cabs was given.

The event, which was the biggest of its kind to take place in the region, appeared to be welcomed by those who attended.

Sean Bellew, managing director of software company Synkro, said his company was based just a "stroke from a nine iron" away from the site of the new factory.

He does not expect to get work directly from Hitachi.

However, he said the potential for his company was from the suppliers to the Japanese manufacturer, or even the suppliers to the suppliers.

He said: "It's been really good in terms of communicating what they are looking for. There's going to be no surprises or shocks further down the line."

Prestons of Potto chairman Anne Preston attended with managing director Stephen Deighton.

Mr Deighton said: "We do a lot of construction projects and can see the opportunities.

"It would be good to be in from the beginning."

There was no chanting or cheering as the crowds of business people drifted away yesterday, as there might have been had it been fans leaving St James' Park or the Stadium of Light.

But if Hitachi delivers on its promise to source products and services from the North-East whenever possible, it will only be a matter of time before many in the region are at least raising their glass in a toast.