The government has approved a new train operator to offer services on the west coast mainline, which runs from London to Scotland, in an effort to increase competition in the rail industry.
The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has granted Grand Union permission to commence operating trains from London Euston to Stirling starting in June 2025. This decision is expected to enhance competition and offer more options for passengers.
Every day, four train services will travel from Euston to Stirling with stops in Milton Keynes, Preston, and Carlisle. These services will directly compete with Avanti, the current franchise operator for this railway line.
In Scotland, there are plans to include stops at Whifflet, Greenfaulds, Larbert, and Stirling, which currently do not offer direct transportation to and from London.
Grand Union has been designated as an open access operator, meaning that they have the ability to request access to railway lines without government funding and assuming complete commercial liability. They will be the first open access operator to utilize the west coast mainline.
In February of 2023, during the introduction of the government’s rail plan, Transport Secretary Mark Harper stated that there would be assistance for additional open access operators. These operators are expected to have a significant role in the future of the railway.
There are three open access companies that operate on the east coast mainline: Lumo, owned by FirstGroup, operates between London and Edinburgh; and Grand Central, which operates between London and Sunderland and Bradford.
It is anticipated that these figures will increase in the coming years as Grand Union has obtained approval to operate trains on the Great Western mainline, connecting London Paddington and Carmarthen in south Wales as early as 2025.
Last week, FirstGroup revealed that they were in talks with regulators to possibly expand their London-Edinburgh Lumo services to include routes to and from Glasgow.
Ian Yeowart, a former executive of British Rail, established Grand Union. He had previously founded another open access operator called Grand Central Trains in 1999, which was later purchased by Arriva in 2011.
The company has announced that their London to Stirling route will feature complimentary wifi for all travelers and offer additional leg space compared to other services. The Scotland-based company will also bring about 100 full-time positions.
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Stephanie Tobyn, the ORR’s director of strategy, policy and and reform, said: “Our decision helps increase services for passengers and boost competition on Britain’s railway network.
Open access operators improve the convenience and affordability of rail travel for passengers by offering a greater variety of trains to new locations. This leads to positive outcomes for those utilizing rail transportation.
Grand Union was asked to provide a statement.
Source: theguardian.com
