GNWR managing director Ian Yeowart. “That disappointment will be shared by businesses in northern towns and cities, most notably Blackpool and Huddersfield, which would have received new regular direct services to London.” While Huddersfield remains without
a direct link to the capital, Virgin Trains started a daily Blackpool-London peak hours return service in December, and may increase frequency when the Preston- Blackpool route is electrified. Virgin has also started a twice-daily service from Shrewsbury and Telford to London, a route briefly operated by the now defunct open- access operator Wrexham & Shropshire (W&S). Tellingly, W&S was not allowed to compete with Virgin by having its trains serve Birmingham. Open-access operator Grand Central is putting a brave face on East Coast’s expan- sion plans. It operates direct trains from Sunderland and Eaglescliffe (near Middles- brough) to London, routes not currently served by East Coast; and from Bradford to London, where East Coast operates only one daily return service. But Sunderland, Middlesbrough (city centre) and Bradford are all part of Stagecoach/Virgin’s expan- sion plans, with daily return services from Sunderland and Middlesbrough starting in December (increased to twice daily from 2019), and Bradford-London increased to seven a day also from 2019. Richard McClean, managing director
of Grand Central, says: “Open-access operators have worked hard to create new markets for rail, and evidence clearly shows that this has led to rapid growth on these new routes. Open access has kept down the rise in ticket prices and stimu- lated competition. We are encouraged to see that Sunderland, Middlesbrough and Bradford may see improved services from the new East Coast franchise, which clearly looks to build on the markets that Grand Central has developed. We are looking forward to seeing the detail of the services proposed, to see how they could fit with existing services provided by us.”
90 BBT MARCH/APRIL 2015
MAKING TRACKS INTO EUROPE
BUSINESS TRAVELLERS WILL HAVE TO WAIT until the end of the year before seeing any improvements to Eurostar, which has fallen behind the main long-distance rail operators in Britain in terms of on-board facilities. The Channel Tunnel operator celebrated its 20th anniversary in November by unveiling its first e320 train, named for its top speed of 320kmph (200mph). A £700 million investment in new and refurbished trains was announced in 2010, but neither will start coming into service before late 2015. New and refurbished trains will have free wifi and more space per seat, with each seat equipped with power points and a USB socket. Business passengers are promised “a carefully designed environment aimed at maximising productivity whilst offering a relaxing space”. The 17 new trains will not only increase capacity but have the technical capability of operating in other countries, unlike the existing fleet. Direct services to Amsterdam, via Antwerp, Rotterdam and Schiphol airport, have already been announced for the end of 2016. Other cities will follow, with Eurostar laying the foundations for a possible route to Geneva by speeding up connections at Brussels linking with Swiss TGV Lyria high-speed trains. Eurostar starts a new year-round direct service to Lyon and Marseilles in
May, with journey times of four-and-a-half and just over six hours respectively. Amsterdam, at around four hours, is more likely to attract business travellers. German rail operator Deutsche Bahn has yet to announce a firm date for its much-delayed direct services from London to Cologne and also Amsterdam. Capita’s Leigh Cowlishaw says: “The time is right for Eurostar’s investment. Its confidence is reflected in plans for the fleet, new routes and technology. Hopefully, the move will work towards advancing greater interoperability across Europe’s railways, and greater choice for business travel.”
BUYINGBUSINESSTRAVEL.COM
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