Rail regulator rejects new London train services over line pressure
Office of Rail and Road cites insufficient capacity on the west coast main line for proposed routes to Wrexham and Rochdale.
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Direct train services from London to Wrexham and Rochdale have been rejected by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR). The rail regulator cited "significant pressure" and insufficient space on the west coast main line as the reasons for its decision. The ORR also vetoed plans by Avanti for additional train services between London and Blackpool. The regulator's assessment indicated that the capacity and performance of the southern section of the west coast main line have not changed materially since similar applications were refused previously.
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The ORR stated that existing gaps in the timetable are necessary to allow trains to recover from disruptions. Introducing new services would reduce the ability to manage delays, potentially escalating chaos across the network and worsening reliability for all passengers. This decision follows previous rejections of services, including a new independent open-access service to Wrexham proposed by the Wrexham, Shropshire & Midlands Railway Company (WSMR) and a Lumo service to Rochdale.
Stephanie Tobyn, the ORR’s director of strategy, policy and reform, explained the regulator's stance. "New services, destinations and greater choice can bring real benefits for passengers and communities," she said. "But the west coast main line is already under significant pressure, with performance reflecting limited resilience on a heavily used part of the rail network. Our detailed analysis has shown that adding more trains to the current timetable would reduce the ability to recover when disruption occurs, increasing the risk of delays spreading and making reliability of the network worse for all passengers."
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While most new service proposals were rejected, the ORR did approve one additional evening service for Avanti between London and Chester. This service would otherwise have operated as a "ghost train", with crew and rolling stock returning north to the depot overnight without passengers. The ORR's decision on network capacity and performance was supported by external reviews.
Questions this report answers
+Why were the new train services to Wrexham and Rochdale rejected?
The Office of Rail and Road rejected the plans due to significant pressure and insufficient space on the west coast main line. The regulator stated that adding more trains would reduce the network's ability to recover from disruptions, increasing the risk of delays.
+Were any new train services approved?
Yes, the Office of Rail and Road approved one additional evening service for Avanti between London and Chester. This service was previously planned to run without passengers as a 'ghost train'.
+What did the rail regulator say about the west coast main line?
The regulator stated that the capacity and performance of the southern section of the west coast main line has not materially changed. They also noted that the line has limited resilience on a heavily used part of the rail network.
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