Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Bus operator wins East Coast rail franchise...

Britain's biggest coach firm National Express has today won the franchise to run the main East Coast Rail line.

National Express promises an increased service with new, more environment-friendly trains, better timekeeping, fewer delays and free wi-fi internet for all passengers.

...Er, and higher fares.

National Express takes over the service from GNER in December and has won the contract to 2015.

3-m news update at The Guardian.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

They also promise direct London to Lincoln main line trains by 2010

This is good news for Lincoln.

And not before time.

Still nothing about train stations for Pinchbeck and Deeping St Nicholas.

The local trains just go through without stopping.

Daft.

Anonymous said...

Not when you consider that Gillian Merron promised during the 2005 General Election Campaign a high speed train service to London via Newark North Gate from Lincoln by, er, 2008!

Overall however I believe it is a good result when one considers the suberb improvements they made to the Midland Mainline recently.

The down side of course being the outrageously poor service NX ran when it held the licence as owner of Central Trains.

Anyone know if NX are going to roll back the years for a summer pie in the sky service to Skegness?

Anonymous said...

Geoffrey,

The through trains to Lincoln via Nottingham are going ahead so that's another reason to thank Gillian Merron and her hard work for Lincoln.

It's a shame nobody told Geoffrey Brooking, but when it comes to ignorance, Geoffrey has few equals.

Anonymous said...

Yes but as Karl McCartney recently pointed out you can cycle faster to Newark and get a train to London quicker than the direct trains take.

And is the direct Midland Mainline train going to offer cheap and saver tickes I ask? - No!

Which just proves what a sham it is.