A JAPANESE manufacturer has restated its commitment to bringing train building back to the region, despite the Government looking at alternative options for part of a multi-billion pound deal.

Hitachi said a proposed manufacturing plant in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, was not dependant on the company securing a contract for 270 carriages for the East Coast Main Line.

Hitachi has already won a £4.5bn order from the Department for Transport for 596 carriages for the Intercity Express Programme (IEP).

The trains will run on the Great Western Main Line and East Coast Main Line.

The deal will allow the company to build a new factory in Newton Aycliffe, which will employ 730 people.

At the time the order was signed off, the Government agreed an option to purchase a further 270 carriages for the East Coast Main Line.

However, ministers admitted this week they were looking at alternative suppliers to Hitachi.

Despite the setback, Hitachi tonight confirmed it was still committed to its new North-East factory.

Alistair Dormer, executive chairman and chief executive of Hitachi Rail Europe, said enabling work had already started at the Newton Aycliffe site.

He added: “Hitachi Rail Europe remains committed to Newton Aycliffe as the home of its new European Rail Manufacturing facility and is going ahead with the construction of the facility as planned.”

Sedgefield MP Phil Wilson led the campaign to bring Hitachi and IEP to County Durham.

He said: “Press speculation changes nothing. The main contract has been signed off.

“There was always an an option to build more carriages; that may happen or it may not - that's why it's called an option.”

Simon Burns, the UK rail minister, said the Government was committed to providing a modern intercity train fleet for the East Coast Main Line.

However, he stressed that ministers were also commitment to securing the best deal for passengers and and were looking at a range of options to modernise the rest of East Coast's existing fleet.

A spokesman for the Department for Transport added: “We're not saying 'no' to Hitachi.

“We have to look at all options, of which IEP is one of them.”

Hitachi said it was looking to tender for other train-building contracts to fill the order book at its Newton Aycliffe plant beyond IEP.