PASSENGERS travelling on GNER trains will soon be able to enjoy even greater comforts when an £8.7 million project is completed.

The York-based train operator is to refit the interiors of its fleet of ten high-speed diesel trains, which serve destinations between the city and London and Scotland.

The work, on more than 90 carriages, will take ten months and will also include engineering work to improve the performance of the train power cars.

All ten trains will be fitted with a new buffet car and kitchen, the coaches will be re-carpeted and all seats refurbished and finished in scratch-resistant coatings.

A new public address system will be fitted, allowing selective broadcast in first or standard-class coaches.

For the first time on GNER high-speed diesel trains, there will also be a toilet large enough to accommodate a wheelchair.

Each train will also be extended by one coach, which in turn will have two spaces for passengers travelling in wheelchairs.

GNER's chief operating officer, Jonathan Metcalfe, said: "By the end of this year, we will have refitted all of our trains and carried out modifications to all the electric and diesel locomotives to improve performance and cut delays.

"Our aim is to provide our passengers with a more comfortable and punctual service."

Work on transforming the buffet and kitchen cars will be carried out by Railway Projects of Derby at GNER's train maintenance depot in Edinburgh, where coach interiors are receiving attention by GNER staff.

The improvements to the diesel power cars will be carried out by Bombardier at Doncaster.

Updated: 09:42 Thursday, March 06, 2003