Air conditioning and improved disabled access are among the new features offered to passengers on the newest edition to a rail operator's fleet.

Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) has introduced the Class 700 train on the Sevenoaks to London and Bedford Route via Bromley South and Catford as part of a government-backed modernisation program to replace the company's 29-year-old vehicles.

Constructed by Siemens, the new trains are roomier and with a fixed length of eight carriages - though this comes at a cost of less seats per section in order to accommodate more standing passengers.

There are also easy-to-reach grab handles, wide aisles and interconnecting carriages so that passengers can move around easily to find more room on the eight trains which run through Sevenoaks each day.

In addition to the greater carrying capacity, GTR is proposing to increase frequency of the service from two to four trains per hour in 2018 from Bickley up through Bromley South, Beckenham, Catford and Peckham Rye.

Gerry McFadden, GTR engineering director, said: “These new trains are just great and passengers on our busy suburban routes are going to love them. They’ll immediately notice the bright, spacious interior, air conditioning and advanced passenger information systems with updates on the Tube.”

Dave Hooper, Siemens’ Thameslink programme director, said: “Entering the first new train on a service for Kent passengers is another significant milestone for the Thameslink Programme.”