Rail bosses in East Anglia enjoyed a double dose of success yesterday as they showed off the first of their new-look carriages – and were able to celebrate the main-line reopening on time after a weekend of engineering work.

The first of 118 newly-refurbished carriages in a £12million programme entered service on the main line between the region and Liverpool Street yesterday morning.

The new carriages are have new LED lighting, new carpets, seat covers and tables and also have power points so passengers can recharge their mobile phones or laptops en route.

They also have controlled emission toilets with new floors and new taps; re-painting of the carriage interior saloon and vestibule panels, walls and ceilings. Exterior painting of all carriages is also being undertaken as part of a separate programme already under way.

The work is being carried out at Abellio Greater Anglia’s Crown Point Depot in Norwich by the company’s partner for the project Vossloh Kiepe.

The first full set of refurbished carriages is due to enter service in the spring, with the full programme completed by the end of the train operator’s current short franchise in October 2016. A number of carriages will be modified to enable more Standard seats to be provided – over 2,500 a day or over 600,000 a year.

Abellio Greater Anglia managing director Jamie Burles was on the train to gauge passengers’s views on the new train.

He was joined by MPs Ben Gummer and Chloe Smith as well as representatives of the New Anglia LEP and the Essex Chambers of Commerce.

Mr Burles said the refurbished carriages would fulfil a need for improved comfort on the line before brand new trains were introduced as part of the new franchise in 2018. He added: “This milestone marks a significant step forward in our commitment to raise service standards on the Great Eastern Main Line.

“Passengers will now be able to travel on the first of our upgraded carriages, and see the real benefits the refurbishment programme will deliver for the travelling environment on our key Intercity services between Norwich, Ipswich, Colchester and London.”

Most of the carriages will also have enhanced WiFi systems – giving a more secure connection for people using the trains.