Alliance Rail Holdings

Alliance Rail Holdings

Formation	2009
Headquarters	York
Managing Director	Ian Yeowart
Parent organization	Arriva UK Trains
Website	www.alliancerail.co.uk

Alliance Rail Holdings is a railway company developing plans to operate passenger trains in the United Kingdom through its subsidiaries Great North Western Railway Company Limited (GNWR) and Grand Southern Railway Company Limited (GSR). Despite various proposals, the company has not run any passenger services since its formation in 2009.

Alliance has undertaken detailed timetabling and economic work to support its applications to the Office of Rail & Road (ORR). Alliance is headed by Ian Yeowart, founder and former managing director of Grand Central Railway. A new development team was announced on 12 August 2010. The venture is majority owned by Arriva.

In 2010, GNWR lodged an application to operate services from London Euston to Bradford Interchange, Whitehaven, Windermere, Southport and Morecambe. However, these were rejected in 2011 by the ORR. An amended application was lodged in 2011.

In June 2014, GNWR successfully concluded negotiations with Network Rail for access paths from London Euston to Blackpool, Huddersfield and Leeds from 2017 using Pendolino trains. However, in January 2015 and despite Network Rail support, the ORR refused these proposed GNWR services citing capacity issues and failing the not primarily abstractive test, meaning most of its revenue would be at the expense of existing others rather than new custom. In 2010, it was proposed that services be operated by dual-mode (diesel + electric) Polaris trains, capable of 140 mph (230 km/h). Sixteen trainsets were expected to be ordered, with a capacity of up to 350 passengers each. However, the Polaris deal was not finalised and Alliance indicated that it was investigating purchasing Pendolinos from Alstom.