Open
access

services
are
set
to
run
between
London
and
Stirling
next
year,
after
the
Office
of
Rail
and
Road
approved
an
application
for
four
trains
a
day
from
Grand
Union
Trains,
whose
managing
director
is
Ian
Yeowart.

The
ORR
has
already
approved
new
Grand
Union
services
between
Carmarthen
and
London
Paddington.

The
regulator
calculated
that
Grand
Union
will
abstract
revenue
worth
£24.4
million
a
year
from
existing
operators,
mainly
Avanti
West
Coast.
Established
WCML
operators
like
AWC
have
DfT
contracts
and
currently
pay
all
their
earnings
to
the
government,
but
the
ORR
said
this
abstraction
would
be
offset
by
airline
passengers
who
are
attracted
to
the
new
services,
and
that
‘forecast
abstraction
of
£24.4m
for
this
application
is
within
the
range
of
previous
applications
we
have
approved’.

Grand
Union
Trains
will
introduce
four
new
return
services
a
day
between
London
Euston
and
Stirling.
Trains
will
call
at
Milton
Keynes
Central,
Nuneaton,
Crewe,
Preston,
Carlisle,
Lockerbie,
Motherwell,
Whifflet,
Greenfaulds
and
Larbert.
Larbert,
Greenfaulds
and
Whifflet
will
gain
their
first
direct
services
to
London.

Mr
Yeowart
has
been
promoting
open
access
operation
for
more
than
20
years.
He
set
up
the
original
Grand
Central
and
tried,
unsuccessfully,
to
launch
cross-Pennine
services
between
Newcastle
and
Manchester
in
2003.
Although
these
were
rejected
by
the
ORR
a
year
later,
the
first
GC
services
started
running
between
London
and
Sunderland
in
2007.

The
new
application
has
met
resistance
from
some
operators
on
the
West
Coast
Main
Line.

The
ORR
said
Avanti
West
Coast
and
West
Midlands
Trains
had
opposed
the
application,
saying
that
it
would
abstract
‘unacceptable
levels
of
revenue’
from
existing
operators.
They
were
also
concerned
about
capacity
and
performance.

Grand
Union
is
likely
to
use
off-lease
Class
221
Voyagers
or
Class
222
Meridians,
and
Avanti
added
that
it
was
unhappy
about
the
‘perpetuation
of
diesel
operation’
on
the
WCML.
Transport
for
Greater
Manchester
was
also
doubtful.
Although
TfGM
agreed
that
the
choice
of
diesel
was
‘prudent’,
so
that
services
could
start
sooner,
it
was
‘regrettable
from
a
carbon
neutrality
and
air
quality
perspective’.

However,
the
ORR
said
‘we
do
not
view
it
would
be
appropriate
to
turn
down
new
passenger
services
on
the
basis
of
diesel
traction,
especially
on
a
route
which
has
known
electricity
power
supply
constraints.
Additionally,
the
proposal
provides
opportunities
for
travellers
switching
from
air
to
rail
travel,
which
would
provide
sustainability
benefits.’

Stephanie
Tobyn,
who
is
the
ORR’s
director
for
strategy,
policy
and
reform,
said:
’Our
decision
helps
increase
services
for
passengers
and
boost
competition
on
Britain’s
railway
network.
By
providing
more
trains
serving
new
destinations,
open
access
operators
offer
passengers
more
choice
in
the
origin
and
price
of
their
journey.’

Speaking
before
the
application
had
been
approved,
Grand
Union’s
director
of
marketing
and
development
David
Prescott
had
said:
‘Each
station
has
been
chosen
because
of
the
benefits
and
opportunities
it
brings.
Grand
Union’s
service
will
open
up
tourism
opportunities,
improve
business
options,
provide
new
leisure
travel
opportunities
and
help
reduce
people’s
reliance
on
air
travel.

‘We
will
be
able
to
provide
people
a
faster
and
more
comfortable
journey
and
eliminate
the
need
to
change
trains
by
avoiding
Glasgow
and
Edinburgh,
meaning
people
will
be
able
to
complete
the
journey
from
Stirling
to
London
in
just
over
five
and
a
half
hours.’