The government has welcomed the news that rail company Southern has ordered £180 million worth of new electric train carriages from a Derby-based manufacturer.

Bombardier will make 116 new units for the service provider and they are set to be added to the network in 2015.

The carriages will be used on one of London's busiest commuter routes, much to the delight of the Department for Transport, which recently urged rail companies to do more to create extra capacity on their most congested trains.

According to official figures, London has some of the most overcrowded services in the country, so this Southern/Bombardier deal is a welcome boon.

Transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin said London commuters deserve first-class rail infrastructure.

"The fact that these trains are made in Britain also protects jobs outside of the capital," he commented.

Southern fleet director Gerry McFadden claimed getting so many trains built, tested and in service in just two years would set a new record.