ON the face of it, today's TransPennine rail announcement looks to be good news for passengers. Whether it is good news for York remains to be seen.

The TransPennine Express service is a key inter-urban rail service for the North of England. Yet it has long been unreliable and overcrowded. Although franchise holder Arriva Trains Northern has been improving, it did not put in a good enough bid to retain the franchise.

Bosses from FirstGroup and Keolis have secured the takeover with £260 million-worth of promises. Two of these will prove popular with long-suffering passengers. They will be delighted to swap ageing, often hot, carriages with faster, more comfortable trains.

And a fixed, regular hourly service is bound to find favour with commuters and those who travel by train to Manchester Airport. This works both ways, too: a fast, dependable train service from the airport to York can only boost this city's tourism.

It is unclear whether York will benefit more directly from today's announcement. In November, the First group pledged to keep the city "at the hub of the network"; but it did not rule out the possibility of moving the headquarters of the new franchise elsewhere. For stability's sake, it should commit to a York HQ as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, York must be a strong contender to be the site for the train maintenance depot to be built on this side of the Pennines.

An early priority for the new franchise holders will be to bring staff on board. Arriva Trains Northern oversaw one of the longest industrial disputes in transport; it is crucial that the consortium strives to improve industrial relations from the start. That might mean a sharp learning curve for First, still facing a potential bus strike in York.

Today's news means the TransPennine Express service is to have its fourth set of owners in ten years. Passengers must hope that this time, rail bosses deliver on their promises.

Updated: 10:52 Thursday, July 31, 2003