A businessman with family ties to Huddersfield is spearheading a bid to run refurbished Tube trains on rail lines across the North of England.

Allan Dare, 64, is marketing director for a firm that is buying up old London Underground trains to sell to rail operating companies.

London-born Mr Dare, whose father-in-law lives in Lepton, has 42 years’ experience in the rail industry. He’s also a fourth generation railwayman.

Mr Dare’s firm, Warwickshire-based Vivarail Ltd, has bought 300 old District Line engines and carriages to turn into 75 ‘new’ D-Trains to replace the out-dated Pacer models on commuter lines.

Work has already started on conversion - which involves fitting diesel engines normally found in buses.

The trains, which will also have refurbished interiors, have a top speed of about 60mph, slightly less than the 75mph of Pacers and Sprinters, though few local routes allow the top speed to be reached.

Mr Dare, married to Christine, 62, often visits his father-in-law David Webb, a retired police chief, in Lepton.

Allan Dare

Artist’s impressions of the new D-Trains are emblazoned with the Huddersfield name because of Mr Dare’s family links to the town and the Connected North rail conference held at Huddersfield University last year.

The first trains could be operational by early 2016 though no deals will be made until after this year’s franchising process for a new rail operator for routes across the North of England.

Three bidders – Arriva, Govia and Abellio – are competing for the Northern Rail franchise, due to be awarded in October.

Prime Minister David Cameron said last year that the new rail operator would be expected to replace the Pacer trains, which are up to 30 years old.

Electrification of rail lines are also a long-term aim and the D-Trains are seen as a cost-effective way of plugging the gap.

The refurbished trains will cost less than half brand new ones and Mr Dare said: “We are working on prototype trains now and our sub-contractors are working on the diesel engines.

“D-Trains are more comfortable to travel on, a lot cheaper than buying new and they can be delivered much quicker. A new train may take two to three years to deliver.

“Our first train could be in service in early 2016.”

Mr Dare revealed that computer simulations had been carried out on the Penistone Line between Huddersfield and Sheffield because of the close proximity of stations and the varying gradients of the line.

Meanwhile, rail union the RMT has slammed rail companies for shifting newer trains to the South while “dumping” a fleet of “vintage Tube trains” on the North.

RMT general secretary Mick Cash said the new trains raised “serious safety issues” and added: “In New York they are dumping clapped out subway trains in the sea. In Britain they are threatening to dump them on the railways of the North.”

Mr Dare said “safety was not an issue” and stressed that all Vivarail’s bosses had extensive experience in the industry.

The chairman of Vivarail is Adrian Shooter, former chairman of Chiltern Railways.