UK: The Rail and Road Authority has given permission for Grand Union Trains to begin open access passenger services between London and Stirling.
Access rights have been granted from June 2025 to June 2030. ORR said the service would use existing off-lease diesel trains, “likely Class 221 Super Voyager or Class 222 Meridian.”
There are four return flights a day between London Euston and Stirling, with flights to Milton Keynes Central, Nuneaton, Crewe (conditional rights only), Preston, Carlisle, Lockerbie, Motherwell, Whifflett, Greenfalls and Larbert. It will make a port call.
ORR said this will significantly increase the opportunity for direct flights to and from London and south-central Scotland, while leveraging existing network capacity.
The service will compete with public service contractor Avanti West Coast and, to a lesser extent, Caledonian Sleeper, Transpennine Express, ScotRail and West Midlands Trains’ London North. It will also compete with the Western Railway Division.
AWC and West Midlands Trains opposed the application on the basis that it would result in an unacceptable level of revenue deprivation. ORR predicts that Grand Union’s services will primarily deprive him of £24.4 million in annual revenue from AWC. It also raised concerns about capacity and performance.
Transport Scotland said there would be no significant revenue deprivation from ScotRail or Caledonian Sleeper and that while it prioritized electric services, it also recognized the environmental benefits of rail compared to other modes of transport. .
Transport for Greater Manchester supported the application, saying diesel was a wise decision for early entry into service, “although disappointing from a carbon neutrality and air quality perspective”.
Transport Focus and Cross Country supported the application, but the Department for Transport did not comment.
When the approval was announced on March 7, Stephanie Tobin, ORR’s director of strategy, policy and reform, said: “Our decision will help us better serve our passengers and increase competition.” Stated. “By offering more trains to new destinations, open access operators can offer more services to passengers.” Choice of departure locations and fares leads to better outcomes for rail users. ”
This is the first open access service on the West Coast Main Line and will be operated without subsidy. In 2018, the ORR approved Grand Central’s application to launch a London to Blackpool North route via WCML, but plans were scrapped due to the pandemic.