THERE have been many sad, depressing days for the North-East’s economy in recent years but today is a good day. A bright day. I’d go as far as to describe it as a momentous day.

Hitachi Rail Europe is to unveil the first UK-built train to be assembled at its £82m factory which opened at Newton Aycliffe in September last year. The Intercity Express is destined for the Great Western Mainline and will be the first of many from a booming order book which will mean 900 people being employed at the plant by April.

And, in the midst of such positive news, we should not forget the important role played by this newspaper in banging the drum for County Durham – the birthplace of the railways - to be the location for the factory.

The unlikely story that the development was even a possibility was broken by my colleague Chris Lloyd, my deputy editor at the time, and he was the main (train) driver of the Echo campaign to back the bid to win those jobs. Together we attended confidential meetings with politicians, business leaders and council chiefs to give what was seen as vital media support for the campaign.

At the first meeting we attended with County Durham Development Company, Geoff Hunton, of key developers, Merchant Place Developments, expressed concern about journalists being in the room so I had to stand up and make a short speech, emphasising that all commercial confidences would be kept.

Those confidences were indeed honouredand, for 18 months, The Northern Echo pressed County Durham’s case with ministers and Hitachi bosses. When confirmation of the deal was announced, both the Government and the company publicly acknowledged the positive role the local paper had played.

Now, the first train, like a giant Christmas present, has been unwrapped and is ready to go into service.

I’m proud to look back, knowing that The Northern Echo played its part. At a time when the world is waking up to the dangers of the newly-labelled "fake journalism", it's a reminder of why campaigning local journalism is so important.