New direct GNER rail services proposed between London King's Cross and West Yorkshire and London King's Cross and Cleethorpes

Great North Eastern Railway (GNER), part of Arriva UK Trains' Alliance Rail Holdings, has today announced its application to introduce a new direct express train service on the East Coast Main Line (ECML) between London King’s Cross, and stations in West Yorkshire and Lincolnshire to commence in December 2017.

The key features of this GNER proposal are:

• a two-hourly service to Leeds calling at a new East Leeds Parkway station
• six trains a day continuing to Bradford and one to Ilkley, all calling at Kirkstall Forge,
• an important new commercial and residential development
• up to four trains a day to Cleethorpes via Doncaster, Scunthorpe and Grimsby, restoring direct links between Humberside towns and London
• investment in a fleet of new Hitachi Super Express 140mph capable trains
• a total investment of at least £130 million
• more than 160 new jobs created for this operation, plus significant wider economic benefits across the towns and cities served.

Ian Yeowart, managing director of Alliance Rail, GNER’s parent company, said: “This proposal is an important opportunity to further strengthen and grow the UK’s rail network. It will bring significant private investment to the industry; improve transport for passengers by delivering direct inter-city rail services to many new areas, and support government aims to generate wider economic benefits and future opportunities in the North of England.”

Notes to editor:

• GNER is a subsidiary of Alliance Rail Holdings (‘Alliance’), which is part of Arriva UK Trains.
• Alliance develops plans for ‘open access’ train services that operate outside the franchise system and are not specified by the Department for Transport or Transport Scotland.
• Alliance has also made an application to operate services on the West Coast Main Line through its company GNWR. A decision on this application is expected imminently from the Office for Rail Regulation (ORR).
• GNER has also made an application to operate services on the East Coast Main Line between London King’s Cross and Edinburgh calling at Newcastle. That application was submitted to the ORR on 12 February 2014 and around 160 full time equivalent jobs will be created by the new service.
• To find out more about Alliance Rail visit www.alliancerail.co.uk