A new Matangi train rolls off the assembly line in at Hyundai-Rotem's factory in Changwon, South Korea in December 2014. The first of the new batch have now started arriving in Wellington.

Wellington's newest trains rolled off a boat from Korea on Sunday, the first of 35 two-car units due to arrive by mid-2016.

As the new Matangi trains, made by Hyundai, arrive in stages the remaining Ganz Magav units will be phased out. The new trains look just like the first 48 Matangis that arrived in 2010, but will have in-built sound dampeners to reduce wheel squeak.

Wellingtonians overwhelmingly preferred the new trains to the old, Greater Wellington Regional Council chairwoman Fran Wilde said.

"This is the final step on the way to having the single, modern, electric train fleet the region's commuters deserve," she says. "And it can't come soon enough. If you stand on a platform today you can still hear a collective groan when the old units come into view instead of one of our new Matangi.

"It will be a good day for Wellington commuters when we've got the new fleet fully in place. From that day on every journey will be a smooth and comfortable one and I'm sure Wellingtonians will continue flocking to trains as a result."

The council is splitting the total project cost of $170 million with the New Zealand Transport Agency. The deal with Hyundai-Rotem also includes $10m worth of upgrades for the existing Matangi trains to fit them with auto-couplers and new lights.