THE future of rail travel on the East Coast Main Line will be decided by the end of year, the Evening Press has learned.

The result of the head-to-head battle between Virgin Rail Group and GNER for the 20-year franchise to run trains between London and Edinburgh will be announced in December, the Shadow Strategic Rail Authority revealed today.

"An announcement is due by the end of year," said a spokesman for the authority.

"The Hatfield crash and its aftermath has delayed the process a little."

He added that the feeling in the railway industry was that York-based GNER had acquitted themselves well during the crisis, but he said that would have no bearing on the franchise announcement which was a "purely commercial decision".

The announcement of the franchise, currently held by GNER, was originally expected by the end of the summer.

Virgin's bid includes impressive-sounding plans to run a new £4.5 billion high-speed line, with a section of it running around York and on to Scotland.

The Virgin Stagecoach group revealed plans to run 205mph trains on the York to London route, cutting the journey to the capital to just one hour 25 minutes. The line would eventually be used to provide a long-awaited direct service from York to Paris.

GNER's rival £3 billion package includes 25 new 140mph tilting trains and more services on the existing line.

It has said the tilters would cut the fastest York-London journey time by nine minutes to just 1 hour, 32 minutes by 2004 - with further improvements possible later if the railway infrastructure is upgraded.

GNER also announced plans for a range of improvements to York station, including escalators and more lifts to help passengers cross from platform to platform, new first and standard class lounges, more car parking and a new travel centre - with the glass screens removed so passengers no longer have to raise their voices to get a ticket.