Plans for extension of West Midlands rail services to London and Manchester revealed

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West Midlands Trains is seeking permission to extend existing services it currently operates as London Northwestern Railway.

It aims to link the capital and Crewe to Manchester Victoria via the West Midlands and Staffordshire.

The company is seeking to use the same rail space on the West Coast Main Line for which Virgin Trains and Lumo have announced open access tenders.

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

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

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

“A common sense solution following the cancellation of the northern section of HS2”

Ian McConnell, Managing Director of West Midlands Trains, said: “This proposal puts passengers at the heart of the railway and is the common sense solution to increasing connectivity between the North West and 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.

“Additionally, 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, environmentally friendly electric trains will provide an affordable alternative to car and coach travel, with fares up to 50% cheaper than the main intercity operator.”

Most train operators in England – including London Northwestern Railway – receive 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 create additional pressure on the rail network and deprive conventional operators of too much revenue.

“A significant step forward”

Dominic Booth, Managing Director of Transport UK Group, the 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 taking advantage of the new Class 730 electric trains, we will offer greater capacity and comfort for customers traveling to Manchester while 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.