The rail regulator has turned down requests from the Wrexham, Shropshire & Midlands Railway Company (WSMR) for four daily return services between Wrexham General and London Euston. Similarly, Lumo's application for up to four return Rochdale-Euston services and Avanti West Coast’s bid for additional Blackpool-Euston services were also rejected.
Following a detailed analysis, the ORR concluded that the capacity and performance of the southern section of the West Coast Main Line have not significantly changed since similar applications were refused in 2025. An independent external review commissioned by the ORR corroborated this finding.
The regulator highlighted the importance of maintaining gaps in the current timetable to allow trains to recover from disruption, thereby minimising delays for passengers. The ORR determined that introducing more services into these recovery windows would reduce network resilience, increasing the likelihood of disruption spreading and affecting more passengers.
However, the ORR has approved Avanti West Coast’s weekday 19:29 Chester to Euston service to carry passengers until December 2030. This service currently operates as a fully crewed empty train, and this decision will not add an extra train to the route but is expected to benefit passengers.
“"The capacity and performance of the southern section of the West Coast Main Line has not materially changed since similar applications were rejected in 2025."
The ORR is the independent safety and economic regulator for Britain’s railways, responsible for ensuring fair access to the rail network and optimal use of its finite capacity for both passenger and freight companies.
