The global train company that will run London’s Crossrail has reported a huge rise in sales after the first full year running a major Hong Kong commuter line.

MTR, which last year won the contract with partner First Group to run trains between London Waterloo and the South West, saw sales rise more than a fifth to £5bn after taking on the South Island Line in Hong Kong, where the company is based.

This led to a more than 11pc leap in adjusted post-tax profits to £965m, thanks to other recent contracts such as the Citybanan rail link in central Stockholm, Sweden.

MTR previously ran London Overground services as part of a joint venture between 2007 and 2016 but has recently increased its presence in UK rail.