A NEW train which could become a common sight in the UK has been unloaded at Southampton Docks.

The first Hitachi Class 800 has been unloaded from the vessel Tamerlane onto the dockside today as part of a £5.7billion Government rail project.

It is the first Hitachi train of its kind on UK shores and will be part of a new programme of trains on the Great Western and East Coast main lines over the next three years.

The train has been shipped over to the UK from Japan, and the remaining 112 trains for the Department for Transport's Intercity Express Programme will be built at a new Hitachi facility in the North East of England.

The new trains will be electric and will replace current trains on the Great Western line from 2017 and the East Coast main line from 2018.

The Department for Transport says it will cut journey times, increase the number of seats and services, and be more comfortable.