First Hull Trains
First Hull Trains is a train operating company in the United Kingdom, running up to seven long distance services each day between London King's Cross and Hull. The company also serves the towns of Stevenage, Grantham, Retford, Doncaster, Selby, Howden and Brough. It is jointly owned by First Group (80%) following the buyout of its previous parent company GB Railways, and Renaissance Trains (20%).
First Hull Trains is one of the three ‘open access’ rail operators in the UK meaning that instead of owning a franchise and operating a level of service laid down by the Strategic Rail Authority, it applied for, and was awarded in 2002, access rights for 10 years by the Office of the Rail Regulator. This was extended to December 2014 in January 2009, and in March 2009 was further extended to 2016.
Service Levels
In 2001 when First Hull Trains first began to operate they ran 3 return services a day using Class 170 Turbostars. With the Introduction of the Class 222 Pioneers the service levels had increased to 6 return services a day by 2006. By 2008 this number had increased to 7 return services a day using faster and better equipped Class 222 Pioneers. In 2009 Hull Trains is campaigning to increase this number yet further to 8 services a day to provide a regular 2 hourly pattern, using Class 180s.
Decreasing Service Levels
In 2009 Hull East MP, John Prescott, launched a scathing attack on Hull Trains following a period of dire performance. Speaking from London Kings Cross Prescott stated "the trains are cancelled or delayed, there's no hot or cold food, the toilets don't work".
Many travellers rely on driving to Doncaster and picking up alternative operators' trains to London as they are statistically proven to be more punctual, factually speaking have more to offer by way of wifi and factually have had more recent refurbishment on all of their trains.
Possible Future Expansion
In 2008, First Hull Trains revealed that they were applying for track access rights to run services between Harrogate and London via York called First Harrogate Trains, and from Cleethorpes to London via Lincoln and Spalding.
In January 2009, the ORR released some proposed decisions on the ECML route planning and TOCS. The application for First Harrogate Trains on the plan is to rejected, however it still could be a company, as these decisions are not final. The final decision will be announced in late February 2009.
First Hull Trains hope to soon achieve a regular two hourly service from Hull to Kings Cross. This would provide benefits to commuters and pleasure travellers alike with the added benefits of earlier and later arrivals and departures from both London and Hull.