REG - Office of Rail&Road - ORR decision: East Coast Main Line applications

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RNS Number : 8629S  Office of Rail and Road  29 July 2025

ORR approves limited new passenger services on East Coast Main Line from December 2025

The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has approved some additional services from
December 2025 for three open access operators, extending or adding to their
existing services on the East Coast Main Line (ECML).

ORR said the additional services from East Coast Trains Limited (Lumo), Grand
Central Rail Company Limited (Grand Central) and Hull Trains Company Limited
(Hull Trains) will offer passengers extra direct rail links between London
King's Cross and Glasgow, Hull and Newcastle and also introduce links to other
destinations, including Seaham, on the North East coast. ORR's decisions also
mean more services between Wakefield and Bradford.

The additional approved services are:

·    Grand Central: two additional Wakefield Kirkgate to Bradford
Interchange services on weekdays and Saturdays; one additional Bradford
Interchange to Wakefield Kirkgate service on weekdays and Saturdays; and one
additional Bradford Interchange to Wakefield Kirkgate service in each
direction on Sundays, and some additional Seaham calls on existing services

·    Hull Trains: one additional northbound service weekdays and Saturdays
between London King's Cross and Hull

·    Lumo (Newcastle): one additional return service between London King's
Cross and Newcastle on weekdays and one additional service in opposing
directions on a Saturday and Sunday

·    Lumo (Glasgow extensions): the extension of existing London King's
Cross-Edinburgh services so that Lumo can provide two northbound services and
one southbound service between London King's Cross and Glasgow on weekdays and
one in each direction on Sundays

ORR said it rejected other proposed services from the above applicants, on the
basis of insufficient capacity and potential performance impacts, or impact on
the Secretary of State's funds. The rail regulator also rejected an
application from Hull Trains for new services between London King's Cross and
Sheffield.

In making its decisions, ORR said it put weight on its duties to promote the
use of Britain's rail network, help give certainty to train operators, promote
competition for the benefit of passengers and have regard to the funds
available to the Secretary of State.

Stephanie Tobyn, ORR's director of strategy, policy and reform, said:

"Approving these additional open access services will increase connectivity on
the East Coast Main Line. 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."

Decision letter

·    Decision on applications for access to the East Coast Main Line
(ECML) - letter to applicants: https://www.orr.gov.uk/media/27206
(https://www.orr.gov.uk/media/27206)

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