LONDON - Canadian train builder Bombardier Transportation has won a 145 million pounds deal to build trains for Britain's Gatwick Express rail service.

Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) on Tuesday agreed to the 145 million pounds order for 108 new carriages to replace the existing Gatwick Express fleet. The new carriages will be built in the UK by Derby-based Bombardier.

The order from the Govia Thameslink rail franchise is for 27 four-car Electrostar trains, to be operated on routes stretching from Bedford and Peterborough to Brighton and the south coast.

Govia is a joint venture between UK transport group Go-Ahead and Keolis, the UK arm of French state railway SNCF.

The 27 new trains will enter service next year

The Class 387/2s four-car trains will be fitted out for the Gatwick-Victoria route, with more luggage space, two-by-two seating and wi-fi.

Charles Horton, the CEO of GTR and managing director of Southern, said some of the trains would also be extended to Brighton off-peak.

New trains will also be added to Thameslink routes and are due to enter service in 2016.

Rail Minister Claire Perry said: "These new British built trains are great news for passengers and a boost for the economy. They will transform journeys on the Gatwick Express and Thameslink routes and safeguard jobs at Bombardier's Derby factory.

"As part of our long term economic plan over 38 billion pounds is being invested in improving our railways over the next 5 years and it's great to see companies like GTR investing in the service it provides for its customers."

Charles Horton, managing director of Southern, said: "This is great news for our Gatwick passengers, but also for those travelling from Brighton, as in the off-peak some of these trains will be extended to there, while still maintaining the fast connection between Victoria and Gatwick.

"We took over the operation of the Thameslink route in September and already we are introducing new trains which will transform our passengers' journeys on services between Bedford and Brighton."

The new order comes as GTR celebrates the arrival of another fleet of Bombardier's latest technology trains, the Class 387/1.

The trains will improve services on the Bedford to Brighton line as they replace the 27-year old Class 319 vehicles currently in operation on that route.

Bombardier won a 1 billion pounds contract in February to provide 65 trains for the London Crossrail project, which is set to open in 2018.

In 2011, the Canadian firm had lost out to German firm Siemens to build new train carriages for the London-based Thameslink route.