TRANSPENNINE Express rail passengers are to benefit from £250m worth of new trains.

Transport companies First Group and Keolis, which are set to take over the franchise in the New Year, said yesterday that new rolling stock should cut journey times, in some cases by up to ten minutes.

A deal has been struck with engineering firm Siemens for 56 100mph Desiro trains, each with 198 seats, which should be in service by 2006.

The trains, being built near Dusseldorf, in Germany, will be equipped with engines built by Darlington Cummins' sister plant in Daventry, and maintained at depots in York and Manchester, where 100 jobs are being created.

Passenger groups were taken aback by the news, having feared there would be little investment in the route, especially as the Strategic Rail Authority was said to be re-evaluating the spiralling cost of a number of rail franchises.

Ernie Preston, secretary of the North-East Passengers' Committee, said: "This is brilliant news for passengers. It would seem that they have found some way to fund new rolling stock, and our message would be 'bring them on now'.

"These trains should reduce journey times and provide a better quality service between the major population centres in the North."

First Group and Keolis beat rival Connex to the Transpennine franchise currently run by Arriva.

It serves a number of towns and cities in the North, including Newcastle, York, Middlesbrough, Thirsk, Nort-hallerton, Darlington and Durham, as well as Manchester and Liverpool.

The trains will mean, for instance, that a journey between Manchester and Newcastle, which takes two hours 47 minutes, will now take two hours and 37 minutes.

They are designed for service in the Pennines, with extra acceleration to boost performance.

Other benefits will include air conditioning, advanced passenger information systems and security cameras.

First Group chief executive Moir Lockhead said: ''We want to hit the ground running and are making this announcement just days after we were selected as preferred bidders to run the franchise."

Keolis director Jean-Pierre Deghaye said: ''Passengers will notice a big advance in comfort and reliability when the new trains enter into service. This is a key part of our commitment to improve quality and attract more people.''