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Minnow train company woos customers with a free cup of tea
A DAVID-and-Goliath battle is brewing on the railways after a small Yorkshire train operator began offering free tea and coffee to lure customers from its larger rival.
Standard-class passengers can claim a free hot drink from the buffet carriage when travelling on Grand Central train services between the region and London.
The York company introduced the trial only 24 hours after its competitor National Express began charging customers to reserve a seat on East Coast main line journeys.
Grand Central, which has also started offering complementary breakfasts to first-class customers, said the promotion would run until the end of July.
Shadow transport minister Robert Goodwill, MP for Scarborough and Whitby, said it showed that large rail operators could not afford to be complacent. "I think people should ask themselves which of these companies competing with each other is providing the service people want.
"National Express should respond to this by thinking about what they should offer instead of thinking about what they can take away from passengers. They need to find ways to improve the service."
Grand Central operates only three services a day in each direction between Yorkshire and London, but passengers with specific tickets can have half the cost refunded if they are unable to find a seat.
National Express is paying the Government 1.4bn to run the East Coast main line franchise for eight years, but has seen its turnover rise more slowly than expected.
Mr Goodwill said: "They have got their financial problems and I can understand them doing what they are doing, but it is almost like they are saying 'we are a mainline operator, so we can do what we like'.
"Hull Trains also operate trains to London through Selby so anyone living south of York has that option, too.
"National Express should not take their passengers for granted."
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Friday 10 February 2012
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