Plans for new rail services between London and Manchester

Plans for new train services between London and Manchester have been revealed following the cancellation of the northern section of HS2.

Operator London Northwestern Railway is seeking permission to extend its existing services – which run between the capital and Crewe – to Manchester Victoria via the West Midlands.

It is seeking to use the same track space on the West Coast Main Line for which Virgin Trains and Lumo have announced open access bids.

The decision on which services can be launched will be made by the Department for Transport and the regulator, the Office of Rail and Road (ORR).

If London Northwestern Railway’s proposal is approved, new direct services from Rugeley, Lichfield, Tamworth and Atherstone in the West Midlands to Manchester city centre and Warrington would be introduced from summer 2026 using Class 730 electric trains.

In October last year, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak cancelled plans to extend HS2 between the West Midlands and Manchester due to spiralling costs.

Ian McConnell, managing director of West Midlands Trains, owner of London Northwestern Railway, said: “This proposal puts passengers at the heart of the railway and is a common-sense solution to increasing connectivity between the North West and the West. Midlands following the cancellation of the northern section of HS2.

“With platform space at Euston limited, the best way to provide new travel opportunities to Manchester is simply to extend existing services, rather than trying to squeeze more trains onto the congested West Coast Main Line.

“Furthermore, unlike the open access model, the millions of pounds of additional revenue our proposals would generate will be returned to the taxpayer, providing a win-win situation for rail passengers.

“Just as we have demonstrated with our existing long-distance services to Birmingham and Liverpool, our new green and environmentally friendly electric trains will provide an affordable alternative to car and coach, with fares up to 50 % cheaper than those of the main long distance operator. »

Most train operators in England – including the London Northwestern Railway – charge a management fee, with the UK government responsible for costs and revenue.

Open access operators receive no taxpayer-funded subsidies and assume all revenue risks.

Some fear that these services will put additional pressure on the rail network and deprive conventional operators of too much revenue.

Dominic Booth, Chief Executive of Transport UK Group, parent company of West Midlands Trains, said: “Our new service proposals represent a significant step forward in improving the rail network between Manchester and London.

“By leveraging the new Class 730 electric trains, we will provide increased capacity and comfort for customers travelling to Manchester whilst supporting the local economy by creating new job opportunities in the North West.

“This proposal is part of our commitment to providing efficient, sustainable and customer-focused rail services across the UK. »

London Northwestern Railway also proposes to start running trains to Manchester Airport by extending its existing service between Stafford and Crewe.

She plans to formally submit her plans to the ORR later this year.