THE company which runs train services on the East Coast Main Line has launched a scathing attack on trains used by a rival operator.

Christopher Garnett, chief executive of Great North Eastern Railways (GNER), described Virgin's trains, which operate throughout Britain, as "cheap and nasty".

Mr Garnett, who runs the mainline route between Edinburgh and London, through Newcastle, Durham, Darlington and York, also said Sir Richard Branson's Voyager trains had "taken the fun out of train travel".

The ageing high-speed fleet used by GNER needs to be replaced - but in the latest issue of Railnews, the industry's newspaper, Mr Garnett rejected the suggestion that the Virgin trains would be ideal.

"These are not comfortable trains for long journeys over three hours," he said. "They have taken the fun out of train travel."

A Virgin spokesman said passenger numbers had increased 40 per cent since Voyagers were introduced and satisfaction rates among customers was above 85 per cent.

"We totally refute any suggestion that they are cheap and nasty," he said.

Richard Bowker, chairman of the Strategic Rail Authority, was a senior director at Virgin and was responsible for commissioning the Voyagers.

A spokesman for the authority said: "These are triple award-winning trains and Richard Bowker is proud of procuring them."

In the article, Mr Garnett complained there was a lack of builders coming forward with new designs for high-quality, long-distance trains for GNER.

In November, the company pledged more services, and the eventual replacement of its entire diesel high-speed train fleet with a new generation of locomotives, if it wins an extension to its East Coast Main Line franchise.

Among Mr Garnett's proposals were extra services in and out of Kings Cross and earlier arrivals into London.

A further improvement will see the creation of an even interval timetable, instead of the more random timetable presently used.

The company is also hoping to have more flyers, which travel from the region to London without stops.