GREAT Western Railway has unveiled the first Hitachi intercity express train, marking 175 years since the first train ran on the line between Bristol and London.

Named Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the new train ran from Reading to London Paddington yesterday.

There it was greeted by Mark Hopwood, managing director of GWR, Mark Langman, route MD of Network Rail, Chris Irwin, chairman of Travelwatch south West, and Lord Faulkner of Worcester, deputy speaker of the House of Lords.

Hitachi shipped its first powercars from Japan in March last year and in the next few years 122 will be assembled at a new plant in County Durham.

The train is part of the £7.5bn modernisation of the Great Western line and has been used as a test train on the rail network.

Hitachi trains are due to run on the Great Western main line next year and the East Coast main line from 2018.