Train passengers could travel direct from York to Gatwick Airport and Brighton, under new plans.
Arriva Group wants to run the new services. It has applied to the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) to introduce a new direct rail service between Newcastle and Brighton, via London Gatwick.
The service would be operated by Grand Central, part of the Arriva Group.
Arriva says this would make use of existing under-utilised capacity on the network and includes proposals to introduce five trains per day in each direction.
The company says: “It would deliver a direct connection from the Northeast and Midlands to London Gatwick and the South Coast, removing the need to interchange through London and providing passengers with a more efficient, affordable and sustainable travel option.”
Paul Hutchings, managing director of Arriva UK Trains’ Rail Services, said: “This is an exciting time for Grand Central’s growth story and follows the extension of our existing access rights to 2038 as well as the recent announcement of an investment of around £300 million in a new battery hybrid train fleet for our existing routes, further underlining our commitment and ambition for rail in the UK.”
Each train will offer capacity for 300 passengers, including luggage space for airport travellers, as well as on-board catering, wi-fi and charging points.
The proposed Newcastle to Brighton service would call at: Newcastle, Durham, Darlington, Northallerton, York, Doncaster, Sheffield, Derby, Burton-on-Trent, Birmingham New Street, Warwick Parkway, Banbury, Oxford, Reading, Wokingham, Guildford, Redhill, London Gatwick, Haywards Heath and Brighton.
Other applications currently awaiting approval from the ORR include proposals for an early morning and late evening return from York to London.