Great Northern has announced newer trains for the services into King’s Cross from Royston, Ashwell and Meldreth – as an independent national survey showed a rise in user satisfaction.

The Transport Focus survey reported 84 per cent satisfaction with the journey up to autumn 2015, compared with 82 per cent a year earlier.

The new trains, which boast air conditioning and state-of-the-art accessibility features for disabled passengers, are being transferred from the Thameslink route between Bedford and Brighton.

Great Northern intends to have replaced all of the older trains on the Cambridge and Peterborough services to and from London King’s Cross by the end of the year.

Keith Jipps, Great Northern’s passenger service director, said: “That passenger satisfaction has risen on Great Northern is testament to the hard work our staff put in every day, keeping trains clean and helping customers at stations.

“We know we need to do more – in particular to improve punctuality – which is why we are working to improve track and signalling, and recruiting more train drivers.”