Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin avoids Tory turmoil aboard new express train

The hybrid Inter-city Express Train will make the 105-minute journey between Paddington and Bristol Temple Meads a quarter of an hour shorter

The Japanese-built Hitachi high-speed train, named Isambard Kingdom Brunel, is unveiled to the media at Reading station (Simon Calder)

On a day when an hour proved a long time in politics, the Transport Secretary was delighted to have a prior engagement some distance from Westminster.

As he unveiled a new Inter-city Express Train (IET) to the media at Reading station, Patrick McLoughlin said: “It’s a pleasure to be away from London.”

The event went more smoothly than the Tory leadership race. On the 175th anniversary of the first train running from Bristol to London, invited guests were treated to the first run of the Japanese-built Hitachi train into the terminus at London Paddington.

The dark-green train, named Isambard Kingdom Brunel, will not enter public service until summer 2017 - meaning at least another year for passengers to endure the current 40-year-old High Speed Trains.

Managing Director of Great Western Railway, Mark Hopwood (left) with Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin (Simon Calder)

The new trains have 40 per cent more capacity than the present rolling stock. While the top speed of the new train is 140mph, it will run no faster than the current maximum of 125mph. But the new trains can accelerate twice as fast, leading to significantly shorter journey times.

When work on the network is completed, passengers between Paddington and Bristol Temple Meads will save a quarter-hour on the present 105-minute journey, while trains between London and Cardiff will be 14 minutes faster.

The train is a hybrid, designed primarily for electrified stretches but able to run at full speed on diesel power. That is an essential quality while the Great Western electrification programme is completed.

Network Rail is responsible for the much-delayed and over-budget electrification project.

Patrick McLoughlin said he was delighted to have a prior engagement some distance from Westminster (Simon Calder)

Sir Peter Hendy, Chairman of Network Rail, said: “It had a difficult birth, it’s had some turbulent early days. But now there’s real visible progress, an achievable budget and a timeframe that we at Network Rail intend to beat.”

There has also been controversy over the absence of a buffet car on the new Great Western Railway (GWR) trains, and the plan to switch the responsibility for opening and closing the doors to the driver.

The modernisation of the Great Western is the biggest investment on this railway since it was built by Brunel. The age of the train is well and truly back

&#13; <p>Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin</p>&#13;

But Mark Hopwood, managing director of GWR, told The Independent: “All our trains in this fleet will have full, big-capacity kitchens so we can cook meals and serve them and we’ll be able to serve everyone hot and cold drinks from a trolley.

“It’s never been in question that there will not be a train manager on these trains and we’re still in discussions with the trade union and with the RMT about how that will work, but there will be someone on the train overseeing the passengers’ safety.”

The train arrived on schedule at platform 1 of Paddington Station - which was designed by Brunel.

Mr McLoughlin said: “The modernisation of the Great Western is the biggest investment on this railway since it was built by Brunel.

“The age of the train is well and truly back.”