A JAPANESE company hoping to build trains in the North-East would bring longterm benefits to the region, an MP has declared after meeting the manufacturer.

Yesterday, Darlington MP Jenny Chapman met Alistair Dormer, managing director of Hitachi Rail Europe, at the company’s offices in London, to discuss the InterCity Express Programme (IEP).

Hitachi hopes to hear in October’s comprehensive spending review that it has been awarded the IEP contract.

The company has indicated it would build a factory in Newton Aycliffe to make the rolling stock if it won the contract.

Last night, Mrs Chapman said the meeting had been very positive with the Hitachi boss telling her he hoped to be in the North-East for the longterm.

She said: “Hitachi has put many years of work into selecting the site – originally there were 50 sites at least.

“After a lot of deliberation they decided Newton Aycliffe was the best place to base themselves.

“Hitachi recognises the added value of being based in the North-East, including the supply chain, transport links, the location of the site to a branch line and nearby main line, and the region’s skilled workforce.”

She added: “This is not just about building trains – it’s a 27-year project to build and maintain the country’s rolling stock. It is a huge deal for the region.”

She urged all MPs in the region to get behind the Back on Track campaign to bring train building back to the home of the railways.

After the meeting, Mr Dormer said the company was grateful for the opportunity to meet the MP and for her support of its IEP bid.

Yesterday’s meeting took place as Darlington councillor Charles Johnson confirmed that he had written to Transport Secretary Phillip Hammond urging him to consider his town for the IEP project.

“I wanted to make sure Darlington is in the loop,” said the councillor, who told the minister there might be suitable land in the town’s Faverdale.

The letter has the support of Stockton South MP James Wharton, although Mrs Chapman described the correspondence as a “distraction”.

“Hitachi has already made its decision on where it wants to be and everyone now needs to pull together,” she said.