THE new operator of the East Coast rail franchise has unveiled its senior management team.

Inter City Railways, a venture between the Stagecoach Group and Virgin, will be led by managing director David Horne.

Mr Horne is joined by Tim Hedley-Jones, who will take up a role as major projects director.

Mr Hedley-Jones has worked for the Intercity East Coast franchise for 16 years, previously managing on-board train crew in Newcastle.

Inter City Railways will pay the Government about £3.3bn to operate the franchise and plans to invest £140m into services.

The agreement was announced last year, and took many by surprise after strong speculation had linked French-owned Eurostar and Keolis with a takeover of the route from the publicly-run Directly Operated Railways.

However, ministers chose Inter City, hailing its value to taxpayers, with the agreement starting next month and running until 31 March 2023.

Bosses say they aim to create direct links to London from Middlesbrough and Thornaby, near Stockton, and a new London to Sunderland service.

Under conditions of the agreement, the Government has the option of a one-year extension, with the trains operating under the Virgin Trains East Coast brand.

The route will use trains made at Hitachi Rail Europe’s £82m factory in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, which will open in 2016 and deliver the rolling stock in 2018.

Mr Horne, who held a similar role at Stagecoach-owned East Midlands Trains, said: “We’ve got major plans to transform customer service, and with this team in place, we will be in the best possible place to launch on March 1.”

Its team also includes finance director Richard Bodicoat, commercial director Andy Sparkes, and people director Clare Burles.

Jack Commandeur will work as engineering director, with Warwick Dent its safety and operations director.