We were delighted to host our latest bi-annual stakeholder summit in York, bringing together stakeholders from across the East Coast to discuss our plans for our franchise. David Horne updated attendees on what we’ve been up to over the past six months, including our refurbished fleet, new menu by James Martin and BEAM, our on-board complimentary entertainment service.

Our Major Projects Director, Tim Hedley-Jones, provided an update on our Azuma trains, due to arrive on the East Coast from 2018, as well as the new simulators we’ll be getting to train new drivers over the next two years. Matt Short, our Head of Government Partnership Working, presented on our Customers and Communities Improvement Fund, which allows customers and stakeholders to submit ideas for projects they want to see along the East Coast as part of a £3m fund available across VTEC’s franchise.

We were joined by Darren Baxter from IPPR North, a dedicated think tank for the north of England, who shared their vision on the future of the Northern Powerhouse, including their proposals for a northern transport strategy. We’ll be hosting our next stakeholder summit in 2017 so look out for an invitation in the New Year, or do contact us if you would like to be invited.