AN application has been submitted by Grand Central Railway Co. Ltd to run a high-quality train service across the Pennines via the Calder Valley line calling at York.

This will be a great improvement for rail passengers who travel from York across the Pennines via the Calder Valley Line, which has an inferior service compared with the main Trans- Pennine Route which runs from York to Manchester via Huddersfield.

Grand Central will be running with no public subsidy and, if successful, will give a quality service with refurbished high speed trains, British Rail's most successful modern train design which also offers a proper catering facility, something missing from the service through the Calder Valley.

It is a bold move by a small company to put forward a serious plan to increase seating capacity across the Pennines without public funding. Give them a chance.

Nick Harvey,

Green Express Railtours,

Byram Arcade,

Westgate,

Huddersfield.

Updated: 10:05 Tuesday, March 23, 2004