Bombardier Transportation has signed a contract to deliver 27 new four-car trains for Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), for operation on the Gatwick Express. The contract for 108 cars has a total value of approximately £145 million GBP (182 million euro, $227 million US).

Under the contract, Bombardier will supply GTR with the latest version of the BOMBARDIER ELECTROSTAR family of electrical multiple units, with additional features for the rail-air route. These features include easier access for passengers with luggage, improved storage space, two by two seating and WiFi. The new Class 387/2 trains will be designed and manufactured at Bombardier’s Derby facility.

Charles Horton, CEO of GTR and Managing Director of Southern, said, “This is great news for our Gatwick passengers, but also for those travelling from Brighton as in the off-peak season, some of these trains will be extended to there, while still maintaining the fast connection between Victoria and Gatwick.”

The new order comes as GTR celebrates the arrival of another fleet of Bombardier’s latest technology trains, the Class 387/1. In July 2013, Bombardier won a contract to deliver 116 new air-conditioned carriages for GTR, which are scheduled to enter service early in the next year. The new trains will improve services on the Bedford to Brighton line as they replace the 27-year old Class 319 vehicles currently in operation on that route. This latest order for 108 additional cars formed an option within the original 2013 contract.