Passengers on the South Western Railway (SWR) network could soon be bowled over by the sight of a special cricket-themed train.

This week, England cricket legend Stuart Broad joined SWR to celebrate the rollout of its Arterio fleet, officially naming one of its trains the Nighthawk at London Waterloo.

The former all-rounder unveiled the Nighthawk a short trip up the line from Vauxhall, home to The Oval cricket ground where he took the final wicket in his last Test match.

Highlighting its suburban network as a hub for sporting excellence, SWR also named trains the Jockey for horse racing destinations such as Ascot, Sandown and Kempton Park; the Red Rose for English rugby at Twickenham; the Ace for the Wimbledon Championships; and the Thames Racer in honour of the Boat Race.

Stuart Broad took 604 Test wickets in his illustrious career, including 34 at The Oval, with the final two coming in the fifth Test of the 2023 Ashes series.

He took on the role of nighthawk, a lower-order batter similar to a night watchman but sent out to play aggressive shots and increase pressure on the opposition, in the first Test of England’s series against New Zealand in February 2023.

He said: “I’m honoured to join South Western Railway today and name one of their new Arterio trains Nighthawk, a role I had great fun playing for England.

“One of the highlights of my career was taking the final wicket in my last Test match, against Australia at The Oval, one of my favourite places to play.

“The atmosphere is always incredible and starts long before the first ball of the day is bowled, as fans make their way from Vauxhall down to the ground.

“Trains play a huge role in bringing sports fans to the heart of the action they love, building excitement as they make their way to the big game.

“It's exciting to think of the Nighthawk journeying across London, connecting even more fans to iconic sporting destinations that bring us all together.”

Five Arterios are already in service, serving the routes to Windsor & Eton Riverside and Shepperton, calling at some of SWR’s busiest stations including Earlsfield, Kingston, Richmond, Twickenham and Wimbledon.

Building on those destinations, it was also confirmed that the new fleet will serve stations including Dorking, Epsom, Guildford, Hampton Court and Reading over the next six months, moving SWR closer to its ultimate goal of transforming every journey on its suburban network.

Each ten-car Arterio carries more than 50 per cent more passengers than the eight-car Class 455 trains they replace, significantly increasing capacity. The £1 billion fleet will also improve passenger comfort, providing modern features including wi-fi, charging points at every seat, real time information, accessible toilets and air conditioning.

To mark the Arterios being named and celebrate the next ten being rolled out, an orchestra played a medley of well-known sporting tunes, including the themes from television’s Grandstand and Match of the Day and the film Chariots of Fire.

Stuart Meek, interim managing director for South Western Railway, said: “Today represents another major milestone on the continuing rollout of our 90 new Arterio trains, which will completely transform every single journey on our suburban network.

“Introducing a new fleet is a monumental achievement and is the culmination of all the hard work of our colleagues and partners to get these trains on the track.

“The Arterio fleet is more than just a means of travel, it is a symbol of connection, bringing people and communities together to enjoy events and the moments that unite us.

“We’ve named our trains in honour of the celebrated sporting venues across our network and our role in connecting communities with all the exciting events and destinations our suburban services have to offer.

“Customers love the Arterios we already have in service, and thousands more of them will soon benefit from the next wave being rolled out.

“Over the next six months Arterios will call at 74 stations, operating 80 peak services every weekday, with customers along new routes including Dorking, Epsom, Guildford, Hampton Court and Reading able to enjoy extra capacity and comfort.”

Rail minister Lord Hendy said: “I’m pleased passengers travelling on South Western Railway are now doing so on a fleet of brand new Arterio trains, which will significantly improve the experience for millions of commuters travelling in and out of the capital.

“Through additional capacity these trains will offer more comfortable, reliable services - and they were proudly built right here in the UK, demonstrating the strength of our rail manufacturing sector as well as our ambition to deliver a network fit for the future.”

Marco Michel, Derby Litchurch Lane managing director at Alstom, said: “Today is a proud moment for everyone involved as our 90 Derby-designed and built Class 701 Arterios are officially launched by South Western Railway.

“Part of the Aventra family, the country’s largest train manufacturing programme in a generation, these technologically advanced trains embody our commitment to smart and sustainable mobility.

“Working in partnership with South Western Railway, we are thrilled to deliver a state-of-the-art, energy-efficient and comfortable travel experience for hundreds of thousands of customers across the railway’s suburban network.”