A TRAINBUILDER’S expansion must not be derailed by a Government failure to protect trade deals once Britain leaves the EU, an MP last night warned.

Phil Wilson said the Brexit bill must ensure Hitachi Rail Europe has the ability to export rolling stock from its factory in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham.

The Sedgefield MP was speaking after Hiroaki Nakanishi, Hitachi’s chairman, hinted exports after 2019 could be “troublesome”.

Hitachi already has a number of domestic contracts, including a deal to make trains for the East Coast and Great Western routes under the Government’s InterCity Express Programme, with some of the models due to start running this year.

It is also making three and four-car trains for the ScotRail franchise and last month confirmed its intention to bid for a £2.75bn HS2 deal, with a separate proposal for London Underground work already submitted.

However, Mr Wilson, who was last night due to speak in a Commons debate on the Government’s EU bill, said he wanted assurances Hitachi’s ability to send stock to foreign shores would not be affected.

He told The Northern Echo: “It is called Hitachi Rail Europe for a reason; it wants to export.

“I’m concerned about the medium to long-term potential of the Hitachi factory to expand.

“I want it to be as successful as possible.”

Mr Wilson, who endeavoured to unite both sides of the political divide in a campaign, supported by local MPs, Durham County Council and industry, to bring Hitachi to the region, said an EU free trade agreement was imperative.

He added: “There is great uncertainty over what Brexit will actually look like and how important our trading relationship with the EU will be.

“Hitachi’s factory is an asset to the North-East and I want to see a tariff-free, impediment-free trade agreement with the EU so it can grow.”

Speaking to news agency Bloomberg at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Mr Nakanishi hinted Hitachi’s Brexit worries may increase after 2019 once its domestic contracts are completed.

He added: “The factory is already full up to 2019.

“Afterwards, maybe we need to make some sort of products to be exported, and that might be troublesome.

“But up to 2019 we don’t have any problems.”

Hitachi’s order book includes the ScotRail 100mph commuter trains, known as Class 385s, which are due to run from late 2017 on electrified lines between Edinburgh and Glasgow, as well as routes covering Stirling, Alloa and Dunblane.

It also has a deal to supply five trains to Hull Trains, which will run on electric and diesel power and come into service in 2019, and an agreement with FirstGroup to supply its TransPennine Express franchise, which links the North-East with Leeds, Manchester, Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Speaking last month, Mr Wilson told the Echo he believed those awards proved the company’s mettle and left it well placed to be successful in its bid to make 225mph HS2 trains.

He highlighted Hitachi’s back catalogue of high-speed projects, which includes trains for the Tokaido Shinkansen line that began service ahead of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.

The HS2 contract is expected to be awarded in 2019.

Confirmation of Hitachi’s bid came months after managing director Karen Boswell told the Echo the firm was eyeing the work.

She said: “Why would you not want these trains made in the UK? The people in the North-East are dedicated to producing trains.”