Proposals for a new train service linking London and Manchester have been put forward following the axing of HS2’s northern leg in October.
London Northwestern Railway is looking to expand its service, which currently runs between the capital and Crewe, to Manchester Victoria.
The plans require sign off by ministers in the Department for Transport (DfT) and the industry regulator, the Office of Rail and Road (ORR).
It marks yet another operator seeking to access the West Coast Main Line. Richard Branson’s Virgin Trains and Firstgroup-owned Lumo have already launched open access bids earlier this year, which refers to operator’s who take full commercial risk and run without government franchising fees.
Should the proposals go through, there will be new direct routes from Rugely, Lichfield, Tamworth and Atherstone through the West Midlands to Manchester. Warrington will also be introduced from summer 2026.
It comes after the government’s controversial decision to scrap the northern leg of HS2 last October amid ballooning costs.
Some £36bn in funding for alternative Northern transport projects was offered by Whitehall in response, although the plans were strongly criticised for including projects that already exist or were uncosted.
In a statement to the PA News agency, Ian McConnell, London Northwestern Railway’s managing director, said: “This proposal puts passengers at the heart of the railway and is the common sense solution to increase connectivity between the North West and the West Midlands following the cancellation of the northern leg of HS2.
“With platform space at Euston at a premium, the best way to provide new journey opportunities to Manchester is simply to extend existing services, rather than trying to squeeze more trains onto the congested West Coast Main Line.
“Additionally, unlike the open access model, the millions of pounds of extra revenue our proposals would generate will be returned to the taxpayer, providing a win-win for rail passengers.
He added: “Just as we have shown with our existing long-distance services to Birmingham and Liverpool, our green and environmentally-friendly new electric trains will provide an affordable alternative to the car and coach, with fares up to 50 per cent cheaper than the main intercity operator.”