(22 Mar 2014, 7:34 pm)aureolin wrote Some of the points are quite interesting.
Key features of the ITT include:
• supporting the roll out of a new fleet of state-of-the-art intercity express trains;
• continuation of services to all current destinations;
• faster and more frequent services to and from King’s Cross by May 2020;
• faster average journey times to Leeds and Edinburgh from May 2020;
• the potential for improved services to destinations such as Lincoln;
• an opportunity for bidders to serve five new routes including Huddersfield, Scarborough, Harrogate (via York), Middlesbrough and Sunderland (via Newcastle); and
• a fund that will drive innovation and deliver long-term benefits for the franchise and wider rail industry.
It's welcome to create the five new links, but will these be at the detriment to the current Edinburgh to Kings Cross, or Leeds to Kings Cross services? i.e. less frequent.
Is it even going to be possible to further increase frequencies? Look at the traffic round Ferryhill South Jn. for example. A similar problem exists at Sunderland station.
Interesting times ahead!
Hopefully the reward points scheme is honoured too.
I quite liked this quote:
I want to see innovative bids that provide value for money for taxpayers
I wonder how much taxpayers money is used to support the successful bidder as opposed to now?
Similarly, I am also curious to see the levels of return that the Government will receive, compared to current levels.
No idea how the extensions will work, taking into account current traffic levels, not only in the two local areas you mentioned, but between Kings Cross and Peterborough, which are already busy and result in regular delays.