A TRAINBUILDER now employs more than 1,000 workers and could soon bring further contracts to its North-East plant, The Northern Echo can reveal.

Hitachi Rail Europe is bidding for new work, which bosses say has the potential to bolster operations at its factory in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham.

The business is already making rolling stock for the Great Western main line under the Government’s InterCity Express Programme (IEP), with work on trains for the busy East Coast route due to begin later this year.

It is also producing 100mph models destined for Scotland and has a deal in place to supply the FirstGroup TransPennine Express franchise, which links the North- East with Manchester and Scotland, with 19 five-car trains.

However, Alistair Dormer, global chief executive of Hitachi Rail’s systems business, told the Echo that the company is tendering for further agreements, which are focused on rolling stock for the West Midlands and the South-East.

If successful, those deals could come to Aycliffe, with Hitachi officials confirming the £82m factory will be strongly considered in future production schedules.

Reiterating previouslyannounced intentions to secure HS2 and London underground work, the latter of which alongside Bombardier, Mr Dormer added the Aycliffe factory is building a train a week, with about five running on its test track.

He said: “There is still a lot of opportunity out there and we are bidding at the moment on one deal for trains in the West Midlands.

“We will also be looking this year for the South-East franchise.

“We cannot win everything but there is a good pipeline for us.

“The process for pre-qualification for HS2 has started and we are also bidding for the Tube.

“Aycliffe is busy and we are building one train a week for IEP and have about five on the test track.”

The company’s 1,000-job figure, which includes some contractors, far outweighs bosses’ initial 730-target and comes just weeks after the Echo revealed the business had more than 900 people on its books to cope with demand.

That clamour includes stock for the Great Western link, with many of its trains now out undergoing testing on the network having left the Aycliffe factory.

Those models are due to go into service later this year.

The company has also now started making body shells for its East Coast trains, known as Azumas.

With initial work overseen in the company’s Japanese heartland, the structures are due to arrive in Aycliffe later this summer for manufacturing to start in earnest.

Operator Virgin Trains says the stock will provide an extra 12,200 seats, increasing its capacity into London King’s Cross by nearly 30 per cent at peak times.

It also previously revealed direct routes to destinations, such as Middlesbrough, will be launched once the fleet enters service next year.