YOUR report "Making A Stand" (October 27) raises several claims made by Grand Central Railway regarding proposed services and offers.

We would remind readers that Grand Central has no trains available to operate its proposed services - nor does it hold any permissions to do so.

Further, even if it manages to persuade the Office Of Rail Regulation to grant it access to the network to run trains, it will not be operating at peak periods. This would be an off-peak service only, and so the likelihood of Grand Central paying refunds to passengers standing on crowded trains is therefore much reduced.

GNER's off-peak fares are every bit as competitive as those which have been indicated by Grand Central, and are attracting more people to the railway.

It would be unfair if Grand Central was able to operate without paying fixed track access charges and without paying any premium to the Government, while at the same time devaluing a publicly-specified, Government-let contract.

GNER pays both fixed track access charges and premiums as part of its ten-year franchise. If Grand Central was to pay pro-rata for the number of trains it plans to run in the same way as GNER does, it should contribute £32 million a year to the Government.

Yet Grand Central - a private-sector operator - does not have to pay the charges that a Government-controlled franchisee does on the same route.

Grand Central's plans would prevent GNER from delivering a franchise commitment to run extra services to Yorkshire, and prohibit the proposed route electrification to the east of Leeds which would add yet more services and create many new journey opportunities across the Yorkshire region.

John Gelson,

GNER Media Relations Manager,

Station Road,

York.

Updated: 09:18 Monday, October 31, 2005