RAIL company GNER has prom-ised to cut train times after completing a £30m three-year project to refurbish its high speed fleet.

The East Coast Main Line operator said work to upgrade its fleet of 31 electric class 91 locomotives will "dramatically improve" reliability and cut delays.

The locomotives, which were introduced between 1989 and 1991, typically cover 1,100 miles a day on the route between London King's Cross, Yorkshire, the North-East and Scotland.

They have undergone extensive mechanical and electrical re- engineering as part of a mid-life refurbishment programme which began in June 2000.

GNER said the project had been so successful that each locomotive was now covering about 15,000 extra miles before requiring maintenance work that could cause delays.

Only two locomotives were released at a time from regular services for the work so GNER could maintain its full passenger timetable.

The refurbishment involved HSBC Rail, which leases the locomotives to GNER, and their manufacturers, Preston- based Alstom and Bombardier, in Doncaster.

It is expected to add about another 20 years of life to the whole fleet, which has accumulated nearly ten million miles of service.

Peter Aldridge, head of HSBC Rail, will hand over the final locomotive to be overhauled to GNER chief executive Christopher Garnett at King's Cross station this morning.

The heavy overhaul programme has also included fitting train protection and warning system (TPWS) equipment to all locomotives ahead of the national deadline imposed by the Strategic Rail Authority, which comes into effect in December.

Fellow train operator Arriva Trains Northern recently completed work to fit TPWS equipment to 360 of its train driver cabs.