National Express submits exciting proposals for new services and faster journeys

Train operator National Express East Coast today reveals exciting proposals for new services and faster journeys linking London with the East Midlands, Lincolnshire, Yorkshire, North East England and Scotland

The company’s proposals include 25 new direct services to and from London, creating at least 7,000 extra seats a day on the flagship East Coast route from December 2009.

The plans – which are subject to regulatory approval – include:

• a new service every two hours to and from Lincoln, additionally serving Market Rasen, Grimsby and Cleethorpes once a day
• an extra service every two hours between London and Garforth, Leeds, Horsforth, Pannal and Harrogate
• an extra service every hour direct from London to Bradford Forster Square, by extending some Leeds services
• possible extra services to Skipton and the Aire Valley, subject to electricity supply issues being tackled by Network Rail

Average journey times from London would also fall, thanks to a new, even interval timetable with a more balanced spread of fast and frequent services. Examples include York in 1 hour 51 minutes, Leeds in 2 hours 10 minutes, Newcastle in 2 hours 50 minutes and Edinburgh in 4 hours 20 minutes.

The plans – which would be the biggest improvement to the East Coast timetable since the route was electrified in 1991 – offer significant benefits to customers and a unique opportunity to deliver a bigger and better railway.

The proposals also make the most efficient use of available track capacity on the busy East Coast route, while creating at least 7,000 extra seats a day on the line from December 2009.

National Express East Coast managing director David Franks said: “As an experienced train operator, our proposals offer a great solution for rail passengers, taxpayers and national and regional economies along our route.

“We are proposing a new, even interval timetable with a more balanced spread of fast and frequent services. Our proposals are unique in that they spread the benefit of additional services throughout the East Coast route.”

National Express East Coast has formally submitted an application to the Office of Rail Regulation to run 25 new services to and from London from December 2009. The new services are subject to regulatory approval, and face competition from ‘open access’ operators for the limited available track capacity from Yorkshire southwards.

To run its proposed additional services, National Express East Coast would lease Class 180 ‘Adelante’ diesel trains, capable of 125 mph running, in addition to its existing fleets of refurbished diesel and electric trains.

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