Hitachi Rail Europe shows its firm support for East Midlands suppliers in building new Class 800/801 trains

Hitachi Rail Europe Ltd. today announced that it is working with over 30 UK suppliers to build trains for the first phase of train delivery for the Government’s Intercity Express Programme.

Of those parts, systems and operations that Hitachi Rail Europe could have sourced from the UK for the new trains, 72% have indeed been purchased from UK-based businesses.

This includes Unmanned Geometry Measurement Systems (UGMS) from Derby-based Balfour Beatty Rail, gangways and couplers from Dellner, also located in Derby, jumper cable systems from Northampton-based Harting, and exhaust systems from Eminox, located in Gainsborough.

The confirmation comes as the rolling stock provider published a map highlighting the locations of its various manufacturers across the UK. It shows that the company’s supply chain is drawn from many different regions, including six businesses from the East Midlands, four businesses from the North West, and three from Yorkshire and the Humber.

Today’s announcement cements the company’s commitment to supporting UK businesses and developing the rail supply chain. Following the announcement earlier this year that Hitachi Rail would be moving its global HQ to London, this is another sign of its confidence in the growing UK rail sector.

Jamie Foster, Procurement Director at Hitachi Rail Europe, said: “We are delighted to be working with so many suppliers from across the UK in building our new Class 800 series trains for the Intercity Express Programme. Given the high requirements for quality and reliability of our trains, we were keen to work with companies that share our values in this regard. I cannot emphasise enough the high quality and quantity of services our suppliers have provided on the project thus far. We will continue working closely with each of them across the rest of the manufacturing and delivery schedule.”

A representative from Harting, said: “Harting is delighted to be working with Hitachi on the Intercity Express Programme. We look forward to developing further interconnectivity solutions with Hitachi, a technology-driven, world-class train manufacturer.”