THE unveiling of new-look trains on the South West network marks "the start of a new era" for rail passengers in the region, according to transport secretary Chris Grayling.

South Western Railway launched its new brand at London Waterloo station today (Monday).

It comes after major engineering works at the station overran, causing misery for commuters returning to work after the August bank holiday weekend.

Andy Mellors, managing director of South Western Railway, said: "We’ve had a challenging couple of weeks with the completion of the August Waterloo upgrade works but we’re now looking to the future.

“Between now and 2024, we will be investing more than £1.2 billion on new and refurbished trains, station improvement projects and the simplification of tickets.

“We are eager to roll out these improvements which will make journeys better for our customers across the network.”

Mr Grayling said: “This is the start of a new era for people who use trains on the South West route.

“We are determined to improve journeys for passengers and under this deal passengers on South Western Railway will benefit from faster journeys, 90 new trains and more than 50,000 extra seats in and out of Waterloo each day during rush hour.

“We are delivering the biggest rail modernisation programme for over a century and alongside this massive investment in services we are also delivering major upgrades to Waterloo station.”

Tim O’Toole, Chief Executive of FirstGroup, said: “We are delighted to launch a fresh and exciting brand today for our newest rail company South Western Railway. Together with our partners MTR, we are really pleased to have the responsibility of running a key part of the country’s rail network on which millions of people rely every week.

“Our experienced leadership team, working alongside thousands of our dedicated SWR colleagues, will deliver the tangible improvements that customers and stakeholders told us they want including new and better trains, more seats and services, quicker journey times, improved stations and more flexible fare options."

Jeremy Long, CEO – European Business MTR, said:

“The new brand marks a fresh start for South Western Railway. Working hard with our partners at FirstGroup, MTR will bring our experience and expertise from the UK and around the world to deliver for our passengers.”

FirstGroup-MTR is already facing the threat of strike action over the role of guards on its trains.

The RMT union is preparing a ballot of members on South Western Railway.

The union claimed that the franchise holder had failed to give “clear, cast-iron assurances” over the future of guards on the trains.