Plans to establish direct train services from London to Wrexham and Rochdale have been turned down due to capacity constraints on the West Coast Main Line, according to the Office of Rail and Road (ORR). The regulator highlighted that the busy railway currently lacks the capacity to handle these additional services without risking increased delays and decreased reliability.
The decision also affects proposed services between London and Blackpool, which were similarly rejected. The ORR emphasized the importance of maintaining timetable gaps to help trains recover from disruptions and prevent delays from impacting the entire network.
This rejection follows previous denials for direct services to Wrexham and Rochdale. The proposed Wrexham service aimed to create a new direct link between the Welsh town and London, while a planned Lumo service sought to connect Rochdale with the capital.
Despite these rejections, the ORR has approved one additional evening service from London to Chester, operated by Avanti. This service allows a train, which would have otherwise returned empty to a depot, to carry passengers instead.
The ORR’s evaluation concluded that there has been no significant change in capacity and performance conditions on the southern section of the West Coast Main Line since similar proposals were previously declined.