Hitachi Rail Europe’s (hitachirail-eu.com) workforce stands at around 930 after the company smashed a recruitment target at its £82 million factory in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham.

The confirmation came after managers last year said they expected to top the 900 mark by Easter. Furthermore, the company is still adding to its headcount, with more job opportunities expected to be filled over the coming weeks as the business works on both English and Scottish rolling-stock projects.

Hitachi has continued to create jobs to support an increased workload, which includes the production of trains for the East Coast and Great Western routes under the Government’s InterCity Express Programme, along with 100mph models for the ScotRail franchise.

The company has also formed a joint venture with Bombardier as it seeks a deal to make new carriages for the London underground; and earlier this year Hitachi confirmed its intention to bid for a contract to make 225mph trains for HS2.

Sedgefield MP Phil Wilson said he believes the company can succeed, highlighting its history of high-speed projects, which includes trains for the Tokaido Shinkansen line that began service ahead of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. He said: “Hitachi has 50 years’ experience of building high-speed trains.

“It has got a good track record — and a factory in Aycliffe where it could be prepared to invest more.”