| Alliance Rail Holdings | |
|---|---|
| Formation | 2009 |
| Location | York |
| Managing Director | Ian Yeowart |
| Website | Alliance Rail Holdings |
Alliance Rail Holdings is a proposed train operating company in the United Kingdom and is finalising its development plans for the operation of new rail services on a number of routes through its subsidiaries Great North Western Railway Co Ltd (GNWR) and Great North Eastern Railway Co Ltd (GNER). The services are planned to start from December 2013 when Virgin Trains and East Coast franchises have expired.[1] The company seeks a contract of up to 30 years to reflect the investment proposed.[2]
Alliance is now undertaking detailed timetabling and economic work to support its application to the ORR for the establishment of these new rail routes. This work will also provide the opportunity to review the potential for the re-introduction of a more regular inter-city service at locations such as Nuneaton and Tamworth, and also offer new direct services between West Yorkshire and Crewe, allowing easy onward connections to Wales and the South West.
Alliance Rail Holdings is headed by Ian Yeowart,[3] founder and former managing director of Grand Central Railway. A new development team was announced on 12 August 2010.[4] The venture is partly funded by Arriva, which is owned by Deutsche Bahn.[5]
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The Great North Eastern Railway (GNER) service, which would resurrect the name of the defunct Sea Containers subsidiary Great North Eastern Railway, is planned to run between London King's Cross, Cleethorpes, Skipton, Ilkley and Huddersfield, in addition to services between Hull and Liverpool via Bradford and Leeds.[6]
The planned timetable is as follows:
The Great North Western Railway (GNWR) service is planned to run between London Euston, Leeds, Halifax, Bradford, Blackpool North and Carlisle.[7]
The planned timetable is as follows:
It is proposed that services be operated by new-build dual-mode (diesel + electric) Polaris rolling stock,[2][8] capable of up to 140 miles per hour (230 km/h).[9] 16 trainsets are expected to be ordered, which would have a capacity of up to 350 passengers each.[10] On the WCML and ECML routes, Alliance would look to use trains that can operate at maximum line speed, with 6 passenger carriages. A mixture of first- and standard-class seating would be provided. On the Pennine route, four-car trains would be required.[11]
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