Rail passengers will have a direct link from Edinburgh and Glasgow to Manchester Airport from Sunday 9 December. First TransPennine Express is expanding its network to provide 14 daily services each day between Scotland and Manchester. Four trans a day will run from Edinburgh to Manchester and three each day from Glasgow Central.

The new service is being provided as part of the changes to the cross country rail franchise and opens up new journey opportunities with a direct link into the heart of Manchester Airport, which has its own integrated station.

The end to end journey time from Edinburgh or Glasgow will be four hours or less and the trains will make intermediate calls at Carlisle and Penrith, in addition to First TransPennine Express usual calling points south of Oxenholme on route to Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Airport. Services to and from Glasgow will also call at Lockerbie.

Vernon Barker, managing director of First Transennine Express, says “We are delighted to be able to serve Edinburgh and Glasgow with new trains and offer new journey opportunities via Manchester Airport to worldwide destinations”

The service will be provided by Class 185 100mph diesel trains, which were introduced across the First TransPennine Express network in a £250 million investment in 2006. Class 185 trains have air conditioning, intercity train quality seating, on-board security cameras and easier access for disabled people. The trains have three carriages including a first class section and can seat 166 passengers in standard accommodation. Each train can accommodate two passengers traveling in wheelchairs and one of the two toilets on each train is fully accessible in a wheelchair.  A new GPS communication based information system will keep passengers up to date throughout their journey.

First TransPennine Express has been working with Manchester Airport and airlines to encourage increasing numbers of incoming air passengers to make onward journeys by rail and to promote rail as the easiest way of reaching Manchester Airport for international departures.

John Twigg, planning and infrastructure director at Manchester Airport says “We are delighted that more towns and cities in northern Britain will now enjoy direct rail services to Manchester Airport. This will provide local people and businesses with quick and convenient access to our network of 225 worldwide destinations.

This is further proof of the success of TPE in meeting the needs of air passengers, with nearly 3 million travelers a year using our state of the art transport interchange, and so helping to reduce road congestion and emissions”

An on board catering trolley service will be provided throughout the journey on all services between Scotland and Manchester Airport, every day and a special complimentary light meal package will be offered to passengers traveling First Class.

Fares to Manchester Airport start from £10 single booked in advance. Full details of all train times and fares are available at www.tpexpress.co.uk