National Express East Coast has revealed plans to link Harrogate with the capital by introducing 25 new direct services and creating at least 7,000 extra seats a day on the flagship East Coast route from December, 2009.

The bid to run an extra service every two hours between Harrogate, Pannal, Horsforth, Leeds, Garforth and London will compete against the proposal of the First Group, which hopes to offer four train journeys each way every day.

National Express East Coast managing director David Franks said the proposals would form part of a wider plan to expand rail service across the country, and he described the project as the most dramatic alteration to the rail service since the route was electrified in 1991.

He 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, including to Yorkshire and Lincolnshire."

The National Express proposals, formally submitted in an application to the Office of Rail Regulation, would make use of available track capacity on the busy east coast route and would expand on the company's existing service in the region.

The potential new service is subject to regulatory approval, and faces competition from open access operators for the limited available track capacity from Yorkshire southwards.

The proposal will compete directly with those of First Group-run Harrogate Trains, which has applied for a licence to run a direct service to London with stops introduced at Starbeck, Knaresborough, Hammerton and Poppleton.
To comment on National Express' proposals, write to Brian Hopkinson, track access manager, Office of Rail Regulation, 1 Kemble Street, London, WC2B 4AN.

l For more information on the First Group's proposals, turn to page 16.