A NEW TransPennine rail service between East Lancashire and West Yorkshire is set to be launched on Monday.
The TransPennine Express franchise, which will be run jointly by First Group and Keolis, is to be launched at a ceremony at Manchester Airport.
The new service has been created by combining some of the services operated by First North Western and Arriva Trains Northern.
Most of the 900 staff will join the new company on its first day of operation.
Vernon Barker, managing director of TransPennine Express, said: "It will take time to make the major improvements we have planned for TransPennine, but we will be paying immediate attention to customer service, train cleanliness and to improving punctuality. There is tremendous goodwill and optimism."
During the franchise, both FirstGroup and Keolis have promised to invest over £250million, including introducing an new fleet of more than 50 trains from 2006.
Burnley and Blackburn are among the towns and cities to be served by TransPennine Express, but around 200 services will operate daily across 60 stations. The firm expects to carry 13million passengers a year. Existing timetables will continue until December 2004, when the first TPE timetable will be introduced.
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