A NORTH-East rail firm plans to ease overcrowding with help from its arch-rival.
GNER, which operates mainline services linking Durham with Scotland and King's Cross, is to make its trains longer using carriages donated by Virgin Trains.
The company owned by tycoon Richard Branson has an amount of rolling stock spare since the introduction of its Voyager services.
GNER will use some of the carriages to make its diesel-powered high-speed trains (HST) longer to reduce overcrowding.
A spokesman for GNER said: "We are going to add one additional coach to each of our ten HSTs. All will be liveried in GNER styling and will be refurbished to include wheelchair space and a wheelchair accessible toilet.
"Due to enter service this summer, they will provide 1,700 extra seats a day, equivalent to adding an extra train to our fleet."
GNER hopes to have the extra seats on board by Sunday, May 18, at the start of the summer timetable.
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