Hitachi has unveiled one of the new Intercity Express trains being manufactured for the Great Western Main Line out of Paddington. The company is currently building three of these trains in Japan, but most of them will come from a new facility currently being constructed in County Durham.

Rail minister Claire Perry said: “We are investing record amounts to build a world-class railway that provides more seats, more services and better journeys for passengers.

The new Intercity Express trains will trans-form travel when they enter service from 2017. I congratulate Hitachi on the progress that they have made, and I look forward to seeing these trains arrive in the UK.”

The Class 800 trains will operate with five to 12 cars and could reduce journey times between Bristol and London by as much as 20min. Under-floor diesel engine generators will allow them to run on non-electrified routes, but these can be removed as the rail electrification programme progresses.

The new trains manufactured in Japan are due to be shipped to the UK for test operations in the first half of 2015. A total of 866 carriages will be built at the new County Durham factory, creating 730 jobs locally. The new trains will also be introduced on the East Coast Main Line from 2018.