FirstGroup, Hitachi and Angel Trains have struck a deal to build 14 state-of-the-art trains to be used on rail lines across the UK, as part of a £500 million deal that will uplift the industrial heartlands, and boost rail services for passengers across the UK. It follows Prime Minister's 'Plan for Change' announced on Thursday. Report by Gluszczykm. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00This Hitachi factory is world-class and I've been here a number of times. I came earlier this year and
00:08spoke to the workforce.
00:09They're fantastic. They're highly skilled, but last time I came before the election
00:14they were anxious because
00:16they feared there was going to be a gap between the contract they're working on now and the next contract and they knew what a
00:22gap means, which is that people might lose their job, huge impact, and I stood before them and said if we win the election
00:29and form a government, I give you my word that we will do everything we can to try and make sure there's a deal
00:36that gets to fill that gap, takes away the anxiety. I'm really pleased that that has now happened. It's really good
00:43for the sector. It's really good for train building. It's really good for the country.
00:47Let's face facts, the last government made a complete mess of HS2.
00:52It took far too long. They were massively over budget.
00:56We are committed, obviously, to the stage between London and Birmingham.
01:01We've got a strategy for rail across the country
01:04which is then going to be measured in years, not months, not chopping and changing, and we will work with Hitachi and others to
01:12make sure that we get the rolling stock we need where we need it.
01:16And it'll be the same as we've done with this deal, which is
01:19understanding what's needed, working with the sector, not against the sector,
01:23but being a government that does
01:26actively pursue these jobs. You know, these jobs could be anywhere in the world. We're in a competition. I want them here in the UK.
01:32This is a brilliant workforce, first class.
01:35We want those jobs here and other jobs across the United Kingdom.