Great Western Railway’s first new Intercity Express Train is to make its maiden voyage to Cornwall later this morning, as part of a special journey from London Paddington to Penzance.

Part of an expo event with Cornwall Council to showcase improved rail services for the South West, the Intercity Express Train (IET) (800 003 and 800 004) will leave London Paddington at 0533 and arrive at Penzance Station at 1101.

Councillor Geoff Brown, Cornwall Council cabinet member for transport, welcomed the investment from GWR and said: ’The new fleet forms part of a £400m package of rail investment that we are working with GWR and Network Rail to deliver, which will transform rail services on our mainline network and, in doing so, provide a key element of the Council’s proposals for a One Public Transport System in Cornwall.’

From 2017 this new fleet of Intercity Express Trains will connect London Paddington to Bristol and South Wales and from 2018 they will connect London Paddington to Exeter, Plymouth, Penzance and many more communities.

GWR commercial development director Matthew Golton said: ’These trains will help us deliver faster, more frequent services into the South West, providing up to a fifth more seats per train.’

The new rolling stock replaces the 40-year-old trains currently serving this key intercity route.

Prior to entering service next Summer, the train will now be made ready to begin testing on the network.

The new fleet harnesses Hitachi’s Japanese bullet train technology.

The modernisation includes a £25million signalling upgrade as part of the Cornwall Capacity Enabling Scheme, which has been part funded by Cornwall Council to the tune of £15m.

This scheme includes 21 additional signals added to the line and seven level crossing upgrades. 

The extra signalling will allow for more trains to be on the track, and will be controlled locally from the existing signal boxes at Plymouth, Lostwithiel and Roskear.

The entire fleet of 93 trains (58 five-car, 35 nine-car) will be in passenger service by the end of 2019.