The first images of the new Elizabeth Line trains that will be used when Crossrail is launched have been released by Transport for London (TfL).

The new ‘Class 345’ trains will enter service in May 2017 on TfL Rail between Liverpool Street and Shenfield, with the first trains being seven carriages and 160 metres long to fit existing platforms at Liverpool Street.

200 metre-long trains, with nine carriages which will be able to carry up to 1,500 people, will be introduced from May 2018, initially between Heathrow and Paddington .

All the trains feature walk-through carriages, air conditioning, CCTV for passenger security and real-time travel information, while each one is constructed from lightweight materials and will regenerate electricity back into the power supply when the train brakes, using up to 30 per cent less energy.

Val Shawcross, Deputy Mayor for Transport, said: "These state-of-the-art trains will play a key role in London’s future – helping to deliver a modern, world class transport system through the new Elizabeth line and enabling London’s transport network to cope as our population rises.

"Alongside the new and modernised stations they will serve, the new trains will transform travel across London and will make life better for millions of Londoners."