Production of HS2 segments begins at STRABAG new £50m Hartlepool factory

Work officially started at the new STRABAG factory, in the town’s in Greenland Road, on Monday (July 24), as witnessed by Hartlepool MP Jill Mortimer.

Production will last around three years during which time over 83,000 precast tunnel segments for the HS2 project are set to be manufactured.

The multi-million pound investment has seen the former Heerema site at PD Ports Hartlepool undergo a complete transformation, with over 100 jobs created.

Mrs Mortimer, who toured the site in 2021, said it was “fantastic” to be back.

“They’ve done a phenomenal job,” she said.

"I was here just under two years ago and it was an empty site with a leaking roof and now we’ve got a fantastic, multi-million pound factory that is going to take us forth for at least another 50 years worth of work coming into Hartlepool and creating jobs.”

Mrs Mortimer also got to cast her own segment during the visit.

She added: "We’ve taken the barcode so I’m really looking forward to find out where that segment goes and letting everybody know where that segment’s gone so we can have a real pride in our town and what we’re doing for the wider nation.”

The factory will continue to operate for at least another 50 years, long after the segments for HS2 have been manufactured.

Some of the most advanced machinery in the world has been brought into the facility as part of the £50m investment.

The railhead at the site has also been reinstated to enable the segments to be transported by rail to HS2’s London logistics hub.

STRABAG managing director Andy Dixon described the start of production in Harltepool as a “very proud moment”.

"We arrived here about two and a half years ago in what was a huge empty space,” Mr Dixon said.

"There’s great engineering heritage here and we are really proud to have brought it back to life here.

"We’ve repurposed a lot of the existing machinery. We’ve invested very significant sums here.

"We’ve employed about a hundred local people, created six new apprenticeships and here we are live and ready to go and we’ve now manufactured our first segment for HS2 so that’s a very proud moment for us.”

Mr Dixon added: “This is probably the most advanced segment manufacturing facility in the world.”

Chris Davison, 30, is among the workers employed by the new factory.

The Hartlepool man had been unemployed for almost two years before starting at STRABAG after completing a course at training provider Orangebox, in Harbour Walk.

Mr Davison, who has been working at STRABAG since November, said: "It was more than welcome when I got the job.

"I was really happy about it. It’s a great opportunity.”

The machine operator added: "It’s been pretty good. I’ve learned a lot."

HS2’s Chief Commercial Officer Ruth Todd said: “It’s amazing to be here in Hartlepool, at the STRABAG factory, producing segments to go under London in our tunnels.

“It’s fantastic, from the skills we’re seeing and the people who are coming back into work having not been there before, through to some of the really great technology we’re using to produce the segments.”