Platinum Trains, a new open access company, is planning to lodge an application to run services between London and Scotland on the East Coast Main Line.

The company is headed by Gary Jones, who has 17 years experience in the rail industry, latterly as a project manager at Northern Rail. Jones said discussions to secure paths from Network Rail and to obtain rolling stock were nearing completion and he would meet the Office of Rail Regulation's September 19 deadline for submitting applications.

The new service would primarily be aimed at competing with airlines between London and Scotland. As a result, Jones told Transit that he was not looking to make a large number of intermediate calls at significant revenue-earning stations served by National Express East Coast.

He promised new ideas to compete with air travel would form part of the Platinum Trains package. "There will be facilities not currently offered on the UK railway," Jones said.

Platinum will now compete against fellow open access companies Grand Central/Union and Hull Trains as well as NXEC for paths on the East Coast. The ORR is due to make a decision on the rival applications in October. The spare Adelante trains coveted by its three rivals is one rolling stock option being explored.

The potential for rail travel to increase its share of the Anglo- Scottish market was highlighted by National Express Group when in announced its results at the end of July. The group said NXEC's market share between London and Scotland had increased from 13% in 2006 to 17% in 2008, partly due to its 'miniature fares' campaign. Further inroads would be lucrative for train operators. In 2007 there were six million domestic air passengers between London and Glasgow/Edinburgh.

As well as running from Edinburgh to London, Platinum is considering starting some trains from northern Scottish cities.