New train franchise takes over this month
01 November, 2007
Trains stopping at and passing through Attenborough and Beeston will have a new look, as East Midlands Trains, run by Stagecoach Group, starts its seven-year-and-four-month franchise on Sunday, November 11, at 2am.Highlights of the company’s plans include millions of pounds of investment in station and train improvements including refurbishments, more CCTV cameras, more car park spaces and improved journey times.
Improve train performance
The company says there will also be closer partnership with Network Rail to improve train performance, and the creation of a new integrated control centre where colleagues from each organisation will sit alongside each other to run the train service.
Plus, it says that a brand-new franchise map has been drawn up to encompass all of the existing main line train services running to London St Pancras and the regional rail services in the East Midlands area.
The East Midlands Franchise comprises: the former Midland Mainline franchise that operated high speed long distance services from London St. Pancras to Sheffield, Derby and Nottingham.
The regional services formerly operated by Central Trains between Nottingham and Derby/Lincoln/Cleethorpes/Skegness, between Derby and Crewe/Matlock/ and Norwich and Liverpool.
”Really Excited”
Ian Dobbs, Chief Executive of Stagecoach Rail Division, said: “We are really excited about creating this brand new train company for the East Midlands and the wider region.
“It will bring better harmony between the regional and mainline train services, and link into the revamped St Pancras station, which will also be home to Eurostar from November.
“We have lots of plans to improve the travelling experience for passengers, and will bring the expertise we have in running our other train company South West Trains to this new rail business.”
By The Editor.
