National Express Group PLC has signalled a "new era in passenger rail services" with the launch of its National Express East Coast franchise which will provide services on the East Coast Main Line between London, Yorkshire, the North East of England and Scotland.

This new franchise, which runs until 2015, will become the standard bearer for the Group's explicit promise to passengers to 'make travel simpler'. To deliver that promise the Group will invest almost £44 million to grow the business and significantly improve the total customer experience.

National Express Group Chief Executive Richard Bowker said: "We are privileged to be taking over Inter City East Coast, Britain's premier railway, which is known for the quality of its service by its many loyal customers. Our combined strengths of industry leading operational performance, excellent customer service, innovation and sheer hard work give us confidence that we can make National Express East Coast a truly world class railway."

Customers on the service will enjoy an improved passenger experience. For the first time WiFi internet access will be provided free in Standard Class (as well as First), whilst a 100-day joint improvement plan, already agreed with Network Rail, is set to significantly improve the punctuality of services. Within months of launch on-board catering will feature a more contemporary range of dishes and snacks, complementing the option of restaurant dining with hot food served at seat in Standard.

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Innovations in ticketing and information will make it simpler for customers to get the right ticket at the right price and to plan journeys more effectively. Plans include: real time running information accessible by mobile phone; print at home tickets; a website which will enable total journey booking (including parking and onward connections) in a single visit; and Smartcard ticketing.

From 2010, with the addition of five more trains to the fleet, there will be a further 25 services providing 14,000 extra seats each weekday. London-Leeds will take 2 hours and London-York 1 hour 45 minutes, whilst the London-Edinburgh services journey time will be reduced to less than 4 hours 20 minutes on key services.

At stations more than £10 million will be invested to improve waiting rooms and information provision, increase CCTV cover, add more cycle spaces and increase car parking by 33 per cent.

National Express is aiming to make East Coast Britain's greenest railway. A predicted 17 per cent reduction in fuel consumption will be targeted across the entire service and a number of stations will benefit from water conservation measures and wind turbine installation. Improved recycling and reduction in landfill waste will also be targeted.

The business will be run by a management team based in York and led by Managing Director David Franks who also retains his role as Head of National Express Trains Division.

National Express also has announced that it has separately completed the purchase of the Sea Containers Rail Services Ltd call centre at Newcastle. Under the terms of the densfer to a new company National Express Services Ltd which will be a subsidiary within the Group.

(GK/JM)