First Harrogate TrainsCompanies House extract company no 6592311 First Harrogate Trains Limited was a proposed open access operator with ambitions to run passenger rail services between Harrogate and London King's Cross via York.Train firm aims to boost London link Harrogate Advertiser 4 July 2008Poppleton to London direct The Press (York) 1 August 2008 The company was a subsidiary of Hull Trains, then owned by FirstGroup (80%) and Renaissance Trains (20%).
The company proposed to run from Harrogate to London King's Cross with up to four services each way per day. The application to run trains was rejected by the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) in February 2009. Office of Rail Regulation 27 February 2009 It cited that the services would not bring enough new patronage and thus rely on abstracting revenue from existing train operating companies.
First Harrogate Trains also applied to operate four trains per day from to London Kings Cross, with an additional four between Lincoln Central and London, and to open a new station at Donnington Parkway. In 2009, this application was rejected by the ORR.Hull Trains - Track Access Rights on the East Coast Main Line Office of the Rail Regulator 19 March 2008
Had the proposal been successful, it was intended that services would commence in the summer of 2009.Home Harrogate Trains
Rolling stock The preferred rolling stock to be used was Class 180 Adelante or Class 222 Pioneer trains, the types used by Hull Trains previously.Track Application - page 2 Office of Rail Regulation
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