Plans detailed this week include 25 new direct services to and from London, creating at least 7,000 extra seats a day on the East Coast route from December 2009. Among these are new routes, such as a two hourly service to and from Lincoln, additionally serving Market Rasen, Grimsby and Cleethorpes once a day, a two hourly service 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, and possible extra services to Skipton and the Aire Valley, subject to electricity supply issues being resolved by Network Rail (link below.)
http://www.transportbriefing.co.uk/story.php?id=5049Some of the plans, such at the Lincoln service, were included in the franchise agreement with the government signed last year. However, other proposals to serve new destinations in the north east appear designed to spoil plans by open access train operator Grand Central, which recently announced its intention to bid for paths to Grimsby, Scarborough and Huddersfield.
To run its proposed additional services, the company would lease Class 180 Adelante diesel trains, capable of 125mph running, in addition to its existing fleets of refurbished diesel and electric trains.
The company has formally submitted an application to the Office of Rail Regulation to run 25 new services to and from London from December 2009. However, the new services are subject to regulatory approval and face competition from open access operators Grand Central and Hull Trains for the limited available track capacity from Yorkshire southwards.
