The train operator has started work to install the life-saving units on all 51 of its 185 trains by the end of March.

The defibrillators will be fitted by technology company Siemens Mobility on behalf of TPE and can be used by both staff and passengers if someone goes into cardiac arrest.

They will be located in an emergency equipment cupboard in the middle of the train.

Bushra Khan, head of engineering at TransPennine Express, said: “Our defibrillators are a huge benefit to both our customers and the communities we serve.

“This rollout will ensure that people travelling on our services will feel safe and confident that defibrillators are available to help in the event of an emergency, potentially saving lives.”

Every defibrillator has step-by-step, spoken word instructions built-in to it which explain how to use it on someone in an emergency.

Computers inside the defibrillators work to analyse a person’s heart rhythms to find out if an electric shock is needed. Electrodes then automatically deliver the shock if required.

Sambit Banerjee, joint CEO of Siemens Mobility UK & Ireland, said: “The skilled team at our Ardwick Traincare Facility play an important part in Siemens Mobility’s mission to transform rail travel, so it’s great to see the collaborative work with TransPennine Express to install life-saving defibrillators on our Class 185 trains.”

The defibrillators have been purchased from the British Heart Foundation charity which is the  biggest independent funder of heart and circulatory research in the UK.

Defibrillators are already in place on TPE’s Nova 1 trains.