PLANS to update the East Coast Main Line to remove a ‘pinch point’ that could affect the viability of the HS2 project received a "good hearing" from the man in charge of the multi-million pound scheme, a council leader has said.

Darlington Borough Council leader Bill Dixon said improvements to the web of tracks around Darlington’s Bank Top station were a “no brainer” if plans to cut journey times on the East Coast Main Line were to work.

Industry in Teesside and County Durham, particularly the new Hitachi rail plant in Newton Aycliffe, would also benefit from improved access to the main line from east and west, he argued.

Cllr Dixon met Sir David Higgins, executive chairman of HS2, with Stephen Catchpole from Tees Valley Unlimited (TVU) and David Robinson from PD Ports, based in Teesside, this week to press for investments for a number of improvements to the North-East rail network.

As well as Bank Top, the group also discussed the electrification of the Northallerton to Middlesbrough line, which would improve connectivity to Teesside and provide a major boost to plans for new industries in the region.

Speaking after the meeting Cllr Dixon said: “We received a good hearing and it was obvious that there was support there.

“It’s a no brainer – if you are going to improve speeds for trains going north and south how are you going to be able to get trains out of Hitachi and on to the East Coast Main Line?

“Bank Top is now seen as a key pinch point on the line, HS2 or no HS2.

“It’s basically a giant crossroads with points going north, south, east and west but the access to each of those points has to be sorted. If it doesn’t it will be industry in this region that suffers.

“It would have a huge impact on plans to create a new industry on Teesside by bringing polymers into the region for biomass and it could really threaten Hitachi if they can’t get the trains they build out on to the main line.”

Cllr Dixon said work on proposals for Bank Top had started last year despite a number of commentators being “slightly dubious”.

He added: “It is now being accepted that it needs to be done by 2018-19 but I’m trying to get it done by 2016-17, in line with Hitachi opening.

“It is now a national priority but I want to get it moved up the agenda.”