A BRIGHT red East Coast train rolled into York station today, and its boss said it heralded cheaper tickets, extra trains and faster journeys on the flagship route to London and Edinburgh.

York-based Virgin Trains East Coast has taken over the line after it was run for several years as East Coast under the control of the Department for Transport.

The route's reprivatisation has been bitterly opposed by trade unions, with Labour also questioning the decision, but Transport Minister Claire Perry today said passengers would benefit from thousands of extra seats, new connections and improved services, and she said more than £3 billion would be returned to taxpayers.

But what will it mean for passengers? We spoke to managing director David Horne about the company's plans.

York Press:

How will the company avoid the problems that blighted previous private operators

Passengers were assured that Virgin and its partner in the new venture, Stagecoach, will definitely not run into any financial buffers and lose their franchise, unlike the line's two previous franchisees, GNER and National Express East Coast.

A pamphlet handed to customers said Virgin had 'more experience than our name suggests,' adding: "Yes, we might be called Virgin but we know what we're doing when it comes to train travel."

Mr Horne told The Press that Virgin and Stagecoach were experienced operators who had been in the railway industry for a long time with successful track records.

What changes will customers see?

Mr Horne said that among the immediate improvements customers would notice would be smartphones issued within weeks to all customer service staff, which would ensure they always had important information immediately to hand for passengers.

What will happen with fares?

Standard Anytime fares will be coming down on trains to and from London by 10 per cent in May, said Mr Horne. "Our job is to ensure that travel on the East Coast remains attractive and affordable," he said.

Will the trains look different?

The full fleet of trains on the East Coast route is set to be painted in the distinctive Virgin livery within six months.

Will there be other changes?

"We are keeping the hot meals on the trains and are looking at ways to improve them. In First Class, we are looking to introduce freshly cooked breakfasts and in Standard class are going to be looking at trials of meals served to people in their seats.

"We are also going to be launching more services between York and Edinburgh in May 2016."

Mr Horne also announced a new £3 million ‘Customer and Communities Improvement Fund,' which would allow passengers to shape the future of their train line by bidding for a share of the fund for projects.

Twice-yearly stakeholder summits will also be held along the network to discuss the ideas put forward, before the best ideas are given to the Secretary of State for approval.