The 90 Class 701 trains will be delivered by Bombardier to South Western Railway. Credit: South Western Railway.

UK-based train operating company South Western Railway (SWR) has received the first train of the new fleet from Bombardier worth £1bn.

The train was delivered almost a month before the testing phase.

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This ten-car train is the first of the fleet of 90 Class 701 trains that will operate on the SWR network.

The train is stabled at Eastleigh and will be commissioned under Bombardier’s network testing regime.

This is expected to help in receiving certification from Office for Road and Rail (ORR) for full passenger usage.

Under the testing phase, SWR will test the systems particularly designed for Class 701 trains such as new communications systems, environmentally friendly toilets, and sensitive edge doors.

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The other systems include regenerative braking and onboard features, which include Wi-Fi and at-seating charging points.

These trains are a part of a large investment to increase the speed and reliability of train services.

The trains will arrive soon for the testing phase, which will enable the introduction of the Class 701s.

SWR commercial projects director Alex Foulds said: “I’m delighted to see us achieving another major milestone. The programme is gathering pace and we’re entering an important phase of the project as we begin real-world testing on our network ahead of the trains entering passenger service later this year.

“We’ve been working hard with Bombardier to ensure that these trains are fit and ready to transform journeys for suburban passengers.”

Bombardier Communications director Will Tanner added: “We are delighted to see the first of these British-designed and built trains leave the factory at Derby. It has been a great team effort by all involved.

“Network testing can now begin on these cutting-edge trains, which is another important step towards passenger service.”

Last month, the work on the £60m Feltham depot of SWR entered the next stage before the Class 701 train rollout.