Department for Transport

More seats, more services and new trains for East Coast passengers
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date 27 November 2014
source Department for Transport
type Press release

East Coast franchise awarded to Inter City Railways, a consortium of Stagecoach and Virgin

Rail journeys between London and Edinburgh will be transformed by more seats, more services and new trains after the government announced its intention to award the new East Coast franchise to Inter City Railways, a consortium of Stagecoach and Virgin, today (27 November 2014).

The new deal will include a host of extra benefits for passengers:

23 new services from London to key destinations, with 75 more station calls a day
plans for new direct links to Huddersfield, Sunderland, Middlesbrough, Dewsbury and Thornaby
proposals for more trains to London from Bradford, Edinburgh, Harrogate, Leeds, Lincoln, Newcastle, Shipley, Stirling, and York
3,100 extra seats for the morning peak time by 2020
across the entire train fleet there will be 12,200 additional seats – a 50% increase
65 state of the art Intercity Express trains brought into passenger service from 2018, totalling 500 new carriages
journey times from London to Leeds reduced by 14 minutes, and from London to Edinburgh by 13 minutes
a £140 million investment package to improve trains and stations.
View the individual station benefits on our interactive map.
Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said:

This is a fantastic deal for passengers and for staff on this vital route. It gives passengers more seats, more services and new trains.

We are putting passengers at the heart of the service. I believe Stagecoach and Virgin will not only deliver for customers but also for the British taxpayer.

This government knows the importance of our railways. That is why they are a vital part of our long term economic plan, with over £38 billion being spent on the network over the next five years.

Martin Griffiths, Chief Executive of Stagecoach Group, said:

A passion for customers, employees and the community is at the heart of our plans for the franchise. We want to build on the quality and pride of the people who will be joining our team.

We have some fantastic ideas to deliver a more personal travel experience for customers. Investing in the committed people who will make that happen is a big part of our plans, giving opportunities for them to develop and grow into more senior roles. At the same time, we have developed major programmes to help young people, communities and small businesses along what is one of Britain’s major rail routes.

Over the 8-year franchise, Inter City Railways will invest £140 million to bring extra benefits for passengers, including:

complete refurbishment of the existing train fleet
better wi-fi connections and onboard catering on the new Intercity Express train fleet
improved ticket offices and 170 new ticket vending machines
over 500 new car parking spaces
411 additional cycle spaces and new secure cycle facilities
a customer and community improvement fund
a training fund for new apprenticeships, internships and staff development.

Railhub Archive ::: 2014-11-27 DfT-001