Hitachi Ltd. announced its first contract in the European commuter-train market on the day that it commenced deliveries from an earlier $8.8 billion breakthrough order for its Intercity Express model.

Hitachi will provide 70 AT200 trains to Abellio for use by the ScotRail franchise, which the state-owned Dutch operator begins running next month.

The first seven units will be built in Japan and the rest at the Tokyo-based company's new European factory in Newton Aycliffe, England, according to a statement.