Hitachi Rail has won a contract to manufacture 14 new five-car class 80X Hitachi electric or bi-mode trains for FirstGroup, with an option to potentially produce 13 more, in a deal worth approximately £500m.

The trains, to be built at the Hitachi Rail factory in County Durham, will support FirstGroup's expansion of open access rail services.

They will initially serve the newly announced London-Carmarthen route and enhance existing Lumo and Hull Trains services on the East Coast Mainline.

The agreement, which includes a ten-year maintenance contract, will see 70 rail cars manufactured and delivered from late 2027.

Angel Trains will finance the lease, adding to their existing Hitachi asset portfolio.

FirstGroup's potential future expansion could include new routes such as London to Rochdale, an extended Glasgow-Edinburgh service, a London-Paignton route, and a London-Sheffield service.

Open access rail operators, which operate through private investment, aim to connect under-served areas and provide additional transport capacity while potentially reducing carbon-intensive travel.

FirstGroup CEO Graham Sutherland said: "The introduction of our new service between London and Carmarthen, and the extra capacity on Lumo and Hull Trains, will significantly increase our open access portfolio over the next few years, with further expansion possible should our recent applications be successful."

Jim Brewin from Hitachi Rail added: "This contract is a positive step forward, and just recognition for the hard work and patience of our teams across the Hitachi Rail UK business."

Malcolm Brown, CEO of Angel Trains, described the deal as "a major milestone for the UK rail industry" that will "bring millions more passengers onto the rail network, connect key regional centres across the UK, secure crucial manufacturing jobs and breathe new life into local economies."