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.”
Image credit: ORR
