Work is well underway on the first of over 100 brand new Greater Anglia trains being built at the Bombardier factory in Derby.
Greater Anglia is replacing all of its trains and 111 of them are being built by UK-based train company, Bombardier.
Two production lines are being set up in the Derby factory and carriages from the first train are in various stages of assembly.
The aluminium pre-glazed body sides, roofs, floor and cabs are manufactured, wired, fitted out and painted before being bolted together on the line.
The Bombardier trains will be used for commuter services into London Liverpool Street from Essex, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire.
A further 58 trains are being made by Stadler, in Switzerland, to replace the current intercity, Stansted Express and rural line trains.
All of Greater Anglia’s new trains will have more seats, plug and USB Points, air conditioning and fast free wifi.
Jamie Burles, Greater Anglia Managing Director, said: “It’s brilliant to see our brand new trains taking shape. We’re confident that they’ll make a big difference to customers travelling by train in East Anglia.
“These new trains will be more comfortable and reliable, helping us transform the railway in East Anglia.”
A Bombardier spokesperson said: “The first train for Greater Anglia is shaping up nicely at our Derby facility, and we are proud to be playing our part in helping transform the railway in East Anglia.”
Malcolm Brown, CEO of Angel Trains – the company procuring and financing the 665 vehicles – said: “We are delighted to see this fleet of Class 720 Aventra trains being assembled at Bombardier’s Derby factory. The £900m deal we signed in September 2016 to procure these new vehicles, one of the largest private investments into rolling stock in the last 20 years, will greatly increase capacity across East Anglia and significantly improve passenger experience.”