FIRSTGROUP today won the franchise to run the flagship TransPennine Express - and immediately promised a new fleet of faster trains and better station facilities.

Two hundred new jobs will also be created, along with a new train maintenance depot which may be based in York. But it is still not known whether the headquarters will be based in York, where offices for white-collar staff involved in running the TransPennine route have traditionally been based.

The decision by the Strategic Rail Authority to select a consortium comprising First and Keolis as preferred bidder for a new eight-year franchise was hailed by the Rail Passengers Committee for North Eastern England, which said: "At long last - finally a franchise for passengers in the North."

Keolis is part of the organisation running South Central Trains and Thameslink Rail and is the largest private rail operator in France.

Chairwoman Christine Knights said she expected "very significant improvements" to be made in the quality of journeys across the North, with better information and facilities at stations. "An investment of £260 million for new trains is just what passengers need," she said.

TransPennine Express (TPE) services from York, currently run by Arriva Trains Northern, include journeys to Leeds, Scarborough, Huddersfield, Newcastle, Liverpool and Manchester, including the airport.

First said its plans include:

Replacing the entire fleet with 100mph diesel multiple unit trains, to give faster and more reliable journeys and improve comfort, punctuality and reliability

Building new train maintenance depots on both sides of the Pennines, with a "strong possibility" that one will be based at York.

Upgrading all 30 stations managed by the franchise, including Selby, Scarborough, Thirsk, Northallerton and Malton.

A spokesman said station improvements would include better safety and security, toilets, information, taxi points and staff facilities.

The company also plans to introduce a new timetable with even-interval departures, so that trains will always leave the station at the same time past the hour. It said it wanted to improve the integration between rail, bus and trams, including improved connections and through-ticketing, where combinations of different journeys can be dealt with as one transaction.

The SRA said there would be some increases in frequency and reductions in journey times, together with some increases in capacity during peak hours.

SRA Chairman Richard Bowker said: "This franchise will deliver better trains with better performance, improved services and more capacity - the things that matter to passengers."

Updated: 11:05 Thursday, July 31, 2003