A Hong Kong company has joined forces with a UK train operator in a bid to take over the running of some of the country's busiest commuter routes.

The MTR Corporation, which operates the Hong Kong Metro, signed an agreement with GNER and will launch a bid for the South Eastern Trains franchise.

The new Integrated Kent Franchise is expected to start next year and will take over services currently operated by SE Trains as well as high speed services on the new Channel Tunnel Rail Link from 2008/09.

SE Trains has been operating services across Kent and London for more than a year following the sacking of previous operator Connex.

MTR has a 29% stake in the new partnership with GNER which runs train services on the East Coast Main Line between London and the north of England and Scotland.

The new partnership between GNER and MTR will bid for the franchise under the name of Great South Eastern Railway.

Christopher Garnett, chief executive of GNER said: "MTR is a world class operation with an unrivalled expertise in delivering a safe, efficient, reliable and high quality railway in one of the most heavily populated parts of the globe.

"We have been working with them for some months and are pleased to deepen our partnership with today's announcement.

"The world leading skills of MTR in running densely timetabled services on heavily utilised routes will perfectly compliment GNER's high speed experience."