ONE of Britain's most popular bands is now appearing before a new audience - tens of thousands of rail passengers along the East Coast main line.

Train operator GNER has named one of its locomotives The Black Dyke Band to mark the 150th anniversary of the world- renowned Yorkshire brass band.

The train was unveiled in the band's home city of Bradford.

It will travel the length of the GNER route, calling at stations from London, through the East Midlands, Yorkshire and the north-east of England to Inverness and Aberdeen in the north of Scotland.

The Black Dyke Band, which has performed with The Beatles, The Beautiful South, Lesley Garrett and Sir Elton John, among others, plays the music on the BBC show Ground Force.

It plays live to more than 50,000 people every year at venues nationwide, including Huddersfield Town Hall.

The band has been British champion 20 times and currently holds the title.

It is reigning European champion and acclaimed as "best in the world".