Private train operators will be allowed to run extra services on the east coast mainline from London to Glasgow, Hull and Newcastle, Britain’s rail regulator has ruled.
The decision to give additional paths to three existing companies comes in spite of concerns about capacity and the impact on taxpayer-funded services, with the main operator on the line, LNER, preparing to run faster intercity trains.
The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) approved plans from the First Group-owned Lumo to extend some of its London-Edinburgh services to Glasgow and add another Newcastle daily return, while its Hull Trains operation gets another daily return service.
Arriva’s Grand Central will also be allowed to run more trains between Wakefield and Bradford.
But the regulator knocked back part of the operators’ applications, including a new direct London King’s Cross to Sheffield service from First, on the basis of “insufficient capacity and potential performance impacts, or impact on the secretary of state’s funds”.
Open access operations have been allowed space to continue despite the nationalisation of all leading passenger train services under the planned Great British Railways.
While Labour had decided against eliminating open access, which has run popular routes to northern towns, the transport secretary, Heidi Alexander, had signalled to the ORR that it should prioritise the needs of state-funded trains and overall performance in considering the proposals.
The state-owned LNER is set to bring in a major timetable change in December, one which has already been postponed for a year over concerns about the railway’s readiness and congestion, cutting London to Edinburgh journey times.
Stephanie Tobyn, the ORR director of strategy, policy and reform, said: “Approving these additional open access services will increase connectivity on the east coast mainline.
“Importantly, we have ensured the approval of these services can be accommodated alongside the major service uplifts by other operators, which have been planned into the December 2025 timetable, so together passengers and freight customers can benefit from more direct connections and greater choice from December.”
The First Group chief executive, Graham Sutherland, said: “We are pleased to have been awarded the extensions to our successful open access rail operations. This is an important step in our efforts to materially grow our open access business and will allow us to build on the substantial benefits we are making to the communities we serve, and to attract even more passengers to rail.”
