The Government has approved plans for a new £360 million fleet of trains to run between Cornwall and London.

The deal will see First Great Western run 29 new trains to serve the South West from 2018. They will be manufactured by Hitachi and will have up to 24% more seats than most of the trains currently serving the route.

They will cut journey times from London to Exeter by 5min, Plymouth by 6min and Penzance by 14min.

Andrew Mellors, deputy managing director of First Great Western (www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk), said: “We know how important the railway is to the economies and communities of the South West. This agreement is fantastic news for the region and for the rail industry as a whole.

The trains, which are capable of operating on both non-electric and electric routes, are similar in design to the new Hitachi Intercity Express trains that are due to enter service between London and South Wales from 2017 onwards.”