THE company that makes Japanese bullet trains has been named as one of three organisations bidding to build the "next generation" of high-speed trains.

Hitachi Europe is up against Alstom-Barclays Rail Group and the Express Rail Alliance - a consortium of four companies, including Bombardier and Angel Trains.

East Coast Main Line passengers will be the first to ride on the trains when a "pre-series batch" is introduced on the rail link from 2012.

Full production of the fleet will follow, with trains entering full service from 2015, starting on the East Coast line and on the Great Western line.

The Department for Transport said the Intercity Express Programme would create trains that would be longer and capable of carrying significantly more passengers.

They would also be lighter and more environmentally friendly.

The trains will replace the ageing HST fleet which will be inherited by new East Coast Main Line operator National Express Group from GNER, sharing the same top speed of 125mph but with the ability to accelerate faster.

An invitation to tender will be issued to shortlisted bidders this autumn.

Proposals will then be received from bidders next summer, with the contract being awarded winter 2008-9.

A Government White Paper has already identified the need to increase capacity on the overcrowded East Coast Main Line, leading to the plan for longer, bigger trains.

A draft version of the East Coast Main Line Route Utilisation Strategy, published by Network Rail earlier this year, suggests that demand from passengers for North-East rail services could rise by as much as 44 per cent by 2016.

Open access operator Grand Central, which is planning new services between London and the North-East, said in April it was ordering a batch of Chinese Polaris trains which would be potentially capable of speeds up to 140mph.