Three train operators have been given the green light to run additional services on the East Coast Main Line from December, promising better connectivity for passengers travelling between London and northern England and Scotland.
The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) approved proposals from open access operators Lumo, Grand Central and Hull Trains to enhance their timetables, though some services were rejected due to capacity concerns and potential impacts on government revenue.
New routes and extensions approved
The approved services include Lumo extending some of its existing London King's Cross to Edinburgh routes through to Glasgow, alongside additional services between London King's Cross and Newcastle. Hull Trains will operate an extra weekday and Saturday service from London King's Cross to Hull.
Grand Central will expand its regional operations with a new link to Seaham on the County Durham coast. However, the regulator rejected Hull Trains' proposal for new services between London King's Cross and Sheffield.
Balancing capacity and performance
Stephanie Tobyn, ORR's director of strategy, policy and reform, said the additional open access services would increase connectivity on the East Coast Main Line. She emphasised that the approvals were designed to work alongside major service improvements by other operators planned for December 2025.
The decision comes as government-owned LNER prepares what it describes as a "transformational" timetable change in December, featuring up to 37 daily services and quicker journeys between London King's Cross and Edinburgh.
Government concerns over taxpayer impact
Open access operators set their own fares, take on all revenue risk and receive no taxpayer-funded subsidies, making them exempt from the Government's ongoing nationalisation of Britain's train services. However, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has expressed concerns about the model.
In January, Alexander wrote to the ORR warning that open access operations could cause "potential congestion" and leave taxpayers to "fill shortfalls" in maintenance costs. She stated that impacts on taxpayers and overall performance should be given "primacy" when analysing such proposals.
The regulator said it had ensured the new services could be accommodated alongside other planned improvements, allowing passengers and freight customers to benefit from more direct connections and greater choice from December.
(PA/London) Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
