The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has rejected the proposal for four daily return services between Rochdale and London Euston, a decision described as 'disappointing' by the town's MP and the train operator behind the plan.
Low-cost rail operator Lumo had hoped to start the services by 2028, with the plans receiving the backing of Rochdale MP Paul Waugh. The ORR said the additional services could 'increase the risk of delays spreading and making reliability of the network worse for all passengers'.
MP and operator express disappointment
Paul Waugh, Rochdale's MP, said: "I am deeply disappointed that the ORR has rejected the proposal for a direct Rochdale to London service. I know how much this would have meant to people in Rochdale and the wider borough, and I remain committed to improving our connections with both Manchester and London."
He added: "There are reasons to be hopeful about the future. The Bee Network is bringing greater integration of local rail services across Greater Manchester from 2028 onwards, while the government is progressing Northern Powerhouse Rail and has set out its long-term intention to develop a new rail connection between Birmingham and Manchester to increase capacity on the West Coast Main Line."
Regulator's reasoning and other rejections
The ORR explained that gaps in the current timetable provide important space for trains to recover when disruption occurs, minimising delays to passengers. The government body concluded that adding more services into these windows would reduce that resilience and increase the risk of disruption.
The ORR also rejected the application of Wrexham, Shropshire & Midlands Railway Company (WSMR) for four return Wrexham-London Euston services and Avanti West Coast's application for additional Blackpool-Euston services.
Lumo considers next steps
A spokesperson for FirstGroup, who run the Lumo operation, said: "We are disappointed that the ORR has declined our revised application for new Lumo services between London and Rochdale, and we are considering our next steps."
The spokesperson added: "Following the initial decision, we amended our plans in line with feedback and believe the revised proposal demonstrated strong economic benefits for passengers and communities. It would have delivered the benefits of competition, including greater choice, lower fares and new opportunities for growth across Manchester and the north west. Open access services have an important role to play in improving connectivity, attracting more people to rail and supporting economic development, all at no cost to the public purse. We remain convinced that this route offered a compelling case for investment and long-term benefits for communities, businesses and the wider regional economy."
ORR has approved access for Avanti's weekday 19:29 Chester to Euston service to carry passengers until December 2030. This train already runs as a fully crewed empty service so does not add another train to the route, but will benefit passengers, says the ORR.
Stephanie Tobyn, ORR's director of strategy, policy and reform, said: "New services, destinations and greater choice can bring real benefits for passengers and communities. 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."
