The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) refused applications from Wrexham, Shropshire & Midlands Railway (WSMR), FirstGroup’s Lumo NW, and Avanti West Coast (AWC) to introduce new open access passenger train services on the West Coast Main Line. The decision was announced on 8 October 2026 and affects proposed services running from London Euston to Wrexham, Rochdale, and Blackpool.
Application Process and Capacity Concerns
The applications were submitted under Sections 17 and 22A of the Railways Act 1993 after the applicants and Network Rail failed to reach agreement on joint submissions. Network Rail opposed the Lumo NW and WSMR bids under Section 17 and expressed
concerns about the Avanti West Coast application under Section 22A. ORR concluded that the West Coast Main Line lacks sufficient capacity to add new trains without degrading performance.
Proposed Service Frequencies and Previous Rejections
WSMR applied to run five return daily services between Wrexham and London Euston, backed by Alstom and consultancy SLC. Lumo NW, owned by FirstGroup, proposed up to four return trips on weekdays and Saturdays and three on Sundays between Rochdale and London Euston. Avanti West Coast planned additional trains between Blackpool and London Euston. Similar applications from WSMR, Lumo NW, and Virgin Trains were rejected in July 2025. An external review commissioned
by ORR supported keeping capacity limits unchanged.
Responses from Officials and Applicants
Stephanie Tobyn, ORR Director of Strategy, Policy & Reform, acknowledged the benefits new services could bring but said the busy West Coast Main Line’s limited resilience means adding trains increases delay risks. She said: “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 worse for all passengers.”
WSMR expressed disappointment after 2½ years of efforts and noted strong local and political support for improved connectivity. WSMR stated its services would have opened up important educational, leisure, and
employment opportunities. Shrewsbury Labour MP Julia Buckley called the decision a setback but pledged to continue campaigning for restored services under Great British Railways. FirstGroup said it was reviewing options and maintained its proposal offered strong economic benefits and would have increased competition.
Operational Impacts and Passenger Effects
ORR rejected the applications primarily due to capacity constraints and detrimental impacts on timetable performance, rather than economic considerations. The regulator approved Avanti West Coast’s existing weekday 19:29 Chester to London Euston service for passenger carriage, as it was already operated as a crewed empty move and did not add capacity strain.
The West Coast Main Line
is heavily used with limited timetable resilience. Adding new trains risks magnifying delays and cancellations across the route. Passengers will not see the proposed new direct links between London and Wrexham, Rochdale, or Blackpool. The Department for Transport recognized the potential connectivity improvements but stated it cannot influence ORR decisions.
