Hull Trains has confirmed a £60 million order for five new bi-mode intercity trains from Hitachi.

Financed by Angel Trains, the new units are due to enter passenger service in 2019.

Earlier this year, Hull Trains, an open access operator owned by FirstGroup, was awarded a new 10-year track access deal by the ORR taking it up to December 2029. At the time, the operator announced plans to procure new trains.

The new bi-mode units will have a higher top speed (140mph) than the current Class 180 trains.

Steve Montgomery, FirstGroup’s Rail division managing director, said: “Hull Trains is a great success story and its enduring high customer satisfaction scores really demonstrate how open access rail services can deliver for passengers in certain markets.

“These are exciting times for Hull Trains as the city of Hull moves towards UK City of Culture status in 2017.

“The new trains we are introducing will provide 20 per cent more seats for our customers and also offer the potential for faster journeys. We also intend to invest in the current Hull Trains fleet to ensure they are fit for the next three years.”