Grand Central returns
EAST Coast Main Line open access operators are facing contrasting futures, with Grand Central announcing plans for a return but still no restart date for Hull Trains.
Both companies made the decision to suspend operations at the end of March, following the start of lockdown.
Grand Central and Hull Trains both rely on passenger revenue for funding. Neither qualified for Government funding through Emergency Measures Agreements (EMAs), although they were able to use the furlough scheme to protect jobs.
GC (owned by Arriva) announced on June 30 that following a four-month “period of hibernation”, it would start running trains from July 26. Initially, these will be two daily return trains between Bradford Interchange and London King’s Cross, and three daily return trips between Sunderland and King’s Cross.
However, HT Managing Director
Louise Cheeseman told RAIL that there was still no date for its services to resume. Owned by FirstGroup, HT has been actively looking for ways to restart services - including the possibility of working with franchised operators to carry passengers unable to travel on other services, due to social distancing measures affecting on-board capacity ( RAIL 907).
GC Managing Director Richard McClean told RAIL: “In late
March it became obvious to us we couldn’t operate a viable rail service under the Government’s lockdown rules.
“Social distancing and a ban on non-essential travel meant we had no option but to put our trains to bed and place the majority of our staff on furlough.”
The company will introduce more services as demand increases, while drivers and operational staff are currently returning to work.
GC has already postponed the launch of its Blackpool NorthLondon Euston service from May this year, owing to the pandemic. No mention was made of a start date for this service, although work to refurbish the Mk 4s that will be used by GC on this route continues, with the first two rakes released from Alstom’s Widnes facility on June 26.
Sets GC02 and GC03 were taken south to Wembley for training. The sets are formed of Kitchen Buffet Standard (RSB) 10321, Open First Disabled (FOD) 11320, Open Standard End (TSOE) 12224, Open Standard Disabled (TSOD) 12326 and Open Standard (TSO) 12477 (GC02) and RSB 10330, FOD 11321, TSOE 12222, TSOD 12323 and TSO 12461.
A further two sets are being refurbished by Alstom. Three Class 90s have so far been overhauled by DB Cargo UK, which is hiring five to GC.