IT'S not so much David and Goliath as Ivor The Engine versus the Union Pacific Railroad.
On Platform One, GNER. The multi-million pound train company has dominated the East Coast Main Line for ten years. It runs 61 trains a day to London through York, employs 3,000 staff and has the ear of Government ministers.
On Platform Two, Grand Central. Set up in 2000, it has yet to operate any train services. Largely powered by the vision of one man, long-serving railwayman Ian Yeowart, it proposes to run six services between London and York a day.
No contest, you might think. But the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) surprised everybody, not least GNER, by suggesting it was "minded" to approve Grand Central's plan.
This has left York's train operator all steamed up. Details from the ORR hearing reveal GNER's fear that the upstart interloper will ride off with £5 million of its money.
Its annoyance is understandable. Grand Central's strategy would not only eat into GNER's profits but impact on its ability to provide more trains from Leeds, a franchise commitment. And while it is paying charges to the Government amounting to £2 million per train per year, Grand Central has no such outlay.
For the passenger, however, the small operator's plan is enticing: regular, non-stop services between York and London, with a simple and relatively cheap fare structure.
GNER says it has no problem with competition, citing low-cost airlines. For those travelling from Leeds or Doncaster, which both boast their own airports, such competition exists. But it doesn't in York.
If Grand Central is judged to be capable of delivering the promised services, the ORR would need a very good reason to turn it down.
Updated: 10:39 Friday, March 17, 2006
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