A NEW rail company promising luxurious train travel on the Trans-Pennine routes has launched its bid to become only the second new firm since privatisation to take to the rails.

The Grand Central Railway Company (GCRC) is on the verge of agreeing a deal to start operating trains under the "open access" provisions of rail privatisiation.

Led by chief executive Ian Yeowart, a 23-year veteran British Rail worker, the York company plans to run 12 daily services between Newcastle and Manchester, starting in September 2002.

This will eventually become 20 a day, when any teething problems have been ironed out, with services calling at Durham and York.

The service will run alongside existing services and, says its backers, will bring an end to overcrowding on the route.

Launching the project, Mr Yeowart said the priority would be to provide a better class of service with less problems and delays for consumers.

The company plans to take existing rolling stock, re-engineer and redesign the carriages with the emphasis on comfort.

Managers claim that GCRC's standard class carriages would be equivalent quality to other services' business class, he said, adding his firm's business class was better than many companies' luxury carriages.

Also, each of the trains, space-age IC200s, would be fitted with the latest diagnostic equipment to cut down on delays and breakdowns.

This system would alert drivers and engineers when problems start so they can be fixed immediately, "and train staff would be given the equipment to do the job," said Mr Yeowart.

"Our trains should not suddenly grind to a halt," he added.

"Anything mechanical can break down - but preventative maintenance can reduce that risk by a great degree."

A spokesman for Grand Central said: "Having spent three years developing our proposals, we have concluded that there is significant, and growing, demand for an improved and extended Trans-Pennine rail service, that is competitive on both price and quality with road, air and existing rail services.

"Our criteria for success will be continually improving customer satisfaction whilst remaining focused on providing value for money."

A meeting next month with the Strategic Rail Authority is expected to see the scheme rubber stamped