York-based Grand Central Railway wants to run a 140mph service linking Huddersfield and Bradford with Euston in London via the West Coast main line.

The company has pencilled in a start date of 2009-2010 for the proposed service - if rail regulators approve the plan.

Operations director Sean English said the plan was "very much in its infancy" but that "economic testing" to decide the viability of the proposals was under way.

This included calculating likely passenger demand and the cost of securing use of the rail network.

Mr English said the service would provide an alternative to the existing GNER service, which involves passengers from Huddersfield changing at Wakefield or the heavily-used Leeds station.

Grand Central is proposing a direct link from Huddersfield and Bradford which would go via Standedge Tunnel and join the West Coast line at Stockport.

Said Mr English: "We think there is a huge market for this service in the Huddersfield area and that an opportunity exists to develop an alternative direct service to London via the West Coast main line."

Grand Central said it planned to run six trains a day in each direction with a likely journey time of two hours and 20 minutes.

The firm said: "Bradford, Calderdale and Kirklees have very limited capital links, partly because of their geography, in the middle of the two fast main line routes between London and Scotland."

Grand Central also wants to run an hourly service between Bradford and Doncaster calling at Halifax, Brighouse, Wakefield Kirkgate and Pontefract.

The proposals are part of a "wish list" drawn up by the company for the Office of Rail Regulation.

The company is due to start running thrice-daily services between London and Sunderland from December 10.

It now wants to add a fourth daily service on that route, which operates on the East Coast main line.

Grand Central also wants to run four trains a day between Bradford and King's Cross in London, independently of the Sunderland service.

Grand Central managing director Ian Yeowart said today: "Our focus at present is on launching the Sunderland-London service on December 10. But like any growing business we must also look to the future.

"We have made it clear we are committed to improving links to the capital from West Yorkshire.

"Those aspirations are reflected in these plans for new services, which we are submitting to the regulators."

The regulators' decision to allow Grand Central to operate the Sunderland-London services was bitterly opposed by GNER, the East Coast main line operator.

GNER, which runs services from Scotland to King's Cross via Wakefield and Leeds, failed in a High Court challenge to reverse the regulators' decision.

The prospect of a new Huddersfield-London link was welcomed by the Slaithwaite-based Association of Community Rail Partnerships.

General manager Neil Buxton said: "Although we are concerned with rural railways, anything that encourages people to use public transport is to be welcomed."

The Aspley-based Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce also welcomed the move.

Siobhan Barton, head of policy and planning, said: "We consider this an important development in transport for the business community of Huddersfield.

"It will provide invaluable links with the capital.

"It will also afford many opportunities for growth in our economy and should go some way to closing the North-South divide."

See also:

Train bosses unveil vision of the future

This is Bradford:  21st September 2006
By Will Kilner

A raft of proposals to im-prove rail connections bet-ween Bradford and the mainline network were submitted to rail regulators today.

The "wish list" of Grand Central Railway includes 140mph services between Lon-don and Bradford and an hourly stopper' service bet-ween Bradford and Doncaster.

The proposals were unveiled after the Office of Rail Regulation asked train operating companies for a list of new services they want to introduce in the coming years.

By encouraging rail companies to be more transparent about their aspirations, railway chiefs aim to draw up a long-term vision for the network in full knowledge of possible developments.

Grand Central, supported by 20 MPs, has continued its fight to introduce more trains between Bradford and London despite having plans knocked back by the ORR in January.

The York-based company has now told the regulator it would like to provide a four-trains-a-day service between Bradford and London King's Cross.

The service would run independently of the London to Sunderland trains instead of splitting at Doncaster, as originally proposed.

Grand Central also wants to bring in an hourly service between Bradford and Doncaster calling at Halifax, Brighouse, Wakefield Kirkgate and Pontefract. This service would provide a vital connection with trains running up and down the flagship East Coast Main Line.

In the longer term, the company aims to introduce a service from London Euston to Huddersfield and Bradford with operations beginning around 2009/10. The introduction of this new route would coincide with a new fleet of trains to operate the services.

Grand Central operations director Sean English said "joined-up" planning from rail bosses could prevent a repeat of the 16-month dispute which saw train operator GNER unsuccessfully challenge Grand Central's plan to use part of the East Coast Main Line between London and Sunderland.

Bradford North MP Terry Rooney said it would be "fantastic" if the plans came off.

But he said he would like to see more substance from Grand Central, including evidence the company had the financial wherewithal to run such a service.

Mr Rooney said: "If they are seeking support from the Bradford people, they should give the people something to believe in. When they came to meet the Yorkshire Labour MPs, they didn't seem able to provide details of where the money was coming from."

Chris Glen, policy chief for the Federation of Small Busin-esses in Yorkshire, said: "More services from Bradford to London would be good for Bradford and the whole region.

"Fewer people would have to go to Leeds from Bradford to get trains to London."

Mike Cartwright, of Brad-ford Chamber, welcomed the extension of rail services. He said: "While we applaud what GNER have done over the last few years with their franchise, we also think there should be more competition introduced and Grand Central are willing to step up to the mark."