Rail regulator rejects plans for more Lancashire-London services

Summarised from 3 outlets · Updated 8 Oct, 12:37 · Archive

The Office of Rail and Road has rejected proposals for additional train services between Lancashire and London.

The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has rejected three applications for new train services between Lancashire and London. Avanti West Coast sought additional services between Blackpool North and London Euston, while Lumo applied for up to four return services from Rochdale to London Euston. The Wrexham, Shropshire, & Midlands Railway Company also applied for four return services from Wrexham to London Euston. All three applications have been refused following detailed assessment.

The ORR said the capacity and performance of the southern section of the West Coast Main Line has not materially changed since similar applications were rejected in 2025. The regulator's analysis found that adding more trains to the congested line would likely lead to increased delays and cancellations.

Stephanie Tobyn, ORR's director of strategy, policy, and reform, explained the reasoning behind the rejections. She stated that gaps in the current timetable need to "provide important space for trains to recover when disruption occurs" to minimise delays for passengers. The regulator found that adding more services into these recovery windows would reduce resilience, increasing the risk of disruption spreading to other services and affecting more passengers.

The ORR did approve one application in part. It granted access for Avanti West Coast's 19:29 Chester to Euston service to carry passengers until December 2030. This service was previously operated as a fully-crewed empty service.

Tobyn noted that new services and greater choice can bring benefits for passengers and communities, though the current constraints on the West Coast Main Line have made these particular applications unviable.

How it is being reported

• Major update on plans for new train services between London and Blackpool on West Coast Main Line“Our detailed analysis has shown that adding more trains to the current timetable would reduce the ability to recover when disruption occurs.”Blackpool Gazette · 8 Oct, 12:29
• Extra train services from Lancashire to London refused ‘Adding more services would reduce resilience’‘Adding more services would reduce resilience’ Proposals to add more train services between Blackpool, Lancashire, and Euston, London, refused.Chorley Guardian · 8 Oct, 12:27
• Rail regulator rejects plans for more Lancashire-London servicesProposals for new train services between Lancashire and London have been rejected.Lancashire Telegraph · 8 Oct, 11:30

In this story: Office of Rail and Road · Avanti West Coast · Lumo · Wrexham, Shropshire, & Midlands Railway Company · Blackpool North · London Euston · West Coast Main Line · Rochdale

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