VIRGIN East Coast is promising more Saturday services when it introduces a new timetable later this year.

From December 17 there will be 24 more Saturday train services, which the company said was the biggest increase since the electrification of the East Coast route in 1990.

In total 151 services will operate every Saturday, only six fewer than on weekdays.

Passengers in York wanting to reach London for a 7am start on weekdays will also benefit from a 4.40am train, following calls from the business community for a service that enables them to get to the capital early morning.

Last year Virgin introduced 45 additional services per week between Edinburgh and London, which it said helped the number of passengers travelling between the UK and Scottish capitals grow by eight per cent.

Virgin has invested £40m in refurbishing the interiors and improving the engines of its existing fleet and next year will see the introduction of new Azuma trains which are being built in by Hitachi at Newton Aycliffe.