New government commits to saving train factory

Keir Starmer and Transport Secretary Lou Haigh visited the Hitachi rail manufacturing plant in Newton Aycliffe in April

The new Labour government has said it is "urgently exploring options" to save the Hitachi train factory.

A gap in orders at the Newton Aycliffe site in County Durham has meant hundreds of manufacturing jobs are at risk.

Prime Minister Kier Starmer, Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Transport Secretary Lou Haigh have said they would act to protect the factory.

But the Conservative Party said Labour's claim the situation could be easily fixed was misleading.

The Department for Transport (DfT) said it was "absolutely committed" to protecting rail manufacturing jobs and securing the industry's future.

"That’s why we are urgently exploring options to support jobs at Hitachi," a DfT spokesman said.

North East Mayor Kim McGuinness described the situation at Hitachi as "urgent" during a visit to Downing Street on Tuesday, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

"We know those jobs in our region are at risk and what that means is that the rail industry in our region is at risk," she said.

Gaps in Hitachi's order book has led to fears jobs could be cut at the factory

Hitachi bosses said they looked "forward to meeting with the new government very soon to assess available solutions to maintain jobs and skills at Newton Aycliffe".

During the election campaign, Ms Reeves said a Labour government would attempt to bring forward existing contracted work as well as "new procurement that Hitachi can bid for".

But former Conservative MP for Sedgefield Paul Howell said in June that Labour's plan would not work.

He claimed the DfT had "absolutely said the things Labour are claiming can be done with the stroke of a pen cannot be done".