Thameslink unveils new generation of London trains

A new train which will "transform" rail travel on one of the country's busiest routes has been unveiled, with pledges of increased reliability and energy efficiency.

The electric Class 700 is being built for the Thameslink route through London, with the first new trains due to begin operating in 2016. Siemens is building the 1,140 carriages in Germany, up to 2,000 jobs will be created in the UK supply chain.

The government says its £6.5 billion Thameslink programme will offer improvements for passengers and increased capacity and reliability across one of Europe's busiest stretches of railway.

It includes more seats through central London, more frequent services from St Albans and more carriages into London Bridge.

Speaking at the unveiling of a full-scale mock-up of the train at London's ExCeL Centre today, Rail Minister Stephen Hammond said: