FASTER trains, more of them and more seats. That's what TransPennine Express (TPE) is promising when its new weekday timetable gets under way on Monday.

The company, which has offices in York and runs cross-Pennine services from the city to Manchester and Liverpool, said some of the highlights of its new schedule would be regular departures and frequency, longer, faster and more reliable trains with more seats.

The new services on offer for rail passengers will include:

A regular hourly "clock face" pattern of service which is easier to understand

Trains every half hour from York to Manchester Airport

Trains from Scarborough will always run to Manchester and Liverpool

Three trains an hour running from York to Manchester Piccadilly - an extra service

Three trains an hour between York and Leeds.

Vernon Barker, managing director of TransPennine Express, said the timetable had been the company's first opportunity to make improvements since winning the franchise in February.

"Passengers can look forward to greater reliability, regular departures and longer trains," he said.

A focus on core TPE routes will mean that rolling stock will be reformed into three and six car trains to tackle overcrowding criticisms.

Trains can also now be lengthened to increase capacity at peak times in the morning and evening.

Mr Barker said the new arrangements represented a "major step forward" in revitalising the TransPennine Express services.

"I am confident that the new timetable will provide an attractive range of inter-city services across the network offering shorter journeys, improved reliability and a more easily understood pattern of departure times for our passengers," he said.

TransPennine Express, a partnership between FirstGroup and French rail firm Keolis SA, beat off strong competition including franchise holders Arriva Trains Northern to secure the right to run services on a lucrative Northern rail route.

What it will mean for local stations:

York

New half-hourly service throughout the day to and from Manchester Airport.

Depart York 26 and 56 minutes past the hour. Depart Manchester Airport 04 and 34 minutes past the hour.

Three through trains per hour to/from Manchester Piccadilly.

Hourly services at the same minutes past the hour to and from Scarborough.

Half-hourly services to Northallerton.

Hourly services to both Newcastle and Middlesbrough

Malton, Seamer and Scarborough

Now an hourly service to Manchester and Liverpool instead of a 2-hourly service

The 0715 from Scarborough will leave 12 minutes earlier at 0703 and will be 14 minutes quicker to Leeds, arriving at 0824 instead of 0850

A new through train from Leeds departs at 1655

Northern Trains services running between York and Blackpool and to Bradford will replace the services from Scarborough to Bradford and Blackpool. These services can be reached by changing at Leeds. There are six Northern Trains departures per hour in each direction between Leeds and Bradford

Hull, Brough and Selby

Shorter journey times to/from Manchester with some journeys 15 minutes quicker

Two additional trains a day between Hull and Leeds

Through trains from Hull to Manchester Airport will run as far as Manchester Piccadilly. Connections to the airport will be available at Huddersfield and Manchester Piccadilly offering a shorter overall journey than current through services

There will also be no through services from Manchester or Leeds beyond Hull to Beverley and Bridlington. Connections to these destinations are available with local Northern Trains services, changing at Hull

Thirsk

Now an hourly service direct to Leeds, Manchester and Manchester Airport - double the current frequency

Updated: 11:01 Friday, December 10, 2004