German high-speed rail operator Flixtrain is set to expand its operations across Europe after confirming an order for 65 new trains in a deal worth €2.4 billion.

The deal will see Spanish train manufacturer Talgo supply up to 65 of its Talgo 230 models, with an initial firm order of 30 units worth €1.06 billion, while Siemens will provide the locomotives, according to Flixtrain.

The privately-owned rail company, which rivals Germany¡¯s state-owned Deutsche Bahn, said the ¡°strategic move¡± will allow for ¡°rapid expansion¡± across Europe, where it expects demand for high-speed train services to grow by between four and five per cent per year.

¡°With the tremendous expansion of our train fleet, we will start a new era of train travel in Germany and Europe,¡± said Flixtrain CEO Andr¨¦ Schw?mmlein in a statement.

¡°We are pursuing a long-term strategy with FlixTrain and we will significantly expand our services in the coming years¡­ We plan not only to increase our market share, but also to significantly grow the market itself,¡± he added.

The new trains will travel at speeds?of?up to?230 km per hour and will feature barrier-free boarding, wifi and air-conditioned carriages, according to the company.

FlixTrain currently operates direct high-speed services across Germany as well as cross-border connections into Basel, Switzerland. ??

The company is a subsidiary of mobility provider Flix Group, which also owns long-distance bus companies Flixbus, which operates across Europe; K?mil Ko? in Turkey and Greyhound in North America.