Stretching from Aberdeen to Penzance and from Stansted to Cardiff, CrossCountry remains geographically the most extensive franchise.

Although the new operation doesn’t include all of the former Virgin CrossCountry network – some services have gone to Virgin West Coast – some former Central Trains long-distance services have been added.

CrossCountry is the brand and identity of the new company, part of Sunderland-based Arriva.

The new operator plans to spend £1.4 million a year in staff training and development, and there will be regular employee surveys.

More security staff will be employed and it also plans to extend its Secure Station accreditation.

Changes scheduled for the first two years of the franchise include a 35 per cent increase in evening peak seating capacity on principal routes; at-seat catering on all routes for all passengers; Wi-Fi available to most passengers; improvements in ticketing and reservation booking, including home printing of tickets, tickets by mobile phone and discounted tickets available much closer to the start of travel.

All trains in the fleet will be refurbished to the standard of Voyagers and five High Speed Trains with 550-seat capacity will come in on the major North East-South West route next year, allowing for the doubling-up of Voyagers on other key services.

Creating a strong visual identity is a key priority and a programme of rebranding will see all trains wearing the new livery.

Andy Cooper, managing director of CrossCountry, said: “The CrossCountry name has a long and proud history. We are reviving that name to em-phasise the important service we provide to our customers.”

Axiom Rail – part of EWS – has taken on the train main-tenance facility at Cambridge to service the Class 170 Turbostars used on services running between Birmingham and Stansted Airport, which have transferred to CrossCountry.

The depot was formerly used by Main Train and all 18 staff have joined the new company.