FirstGroup


is
stepping
up
its
open
access
ambitions
by
completing
the
buyout
of
Grand
Union
Trains
and
bidding
for
a
new
route
to
Somerset
and
Devon.

First
now
owns
Grand
Union
Trains
GWML
Holdings
Limited,
which
has
rights
for
open
access
services
between
London
Paddington
and
Carmarthen,
calling
at
Bristol
Parkway,
Newport,
Severn
Tunnel
Junction,
Cardiff
Central,
Gowerton
and
Llanelli
from
December
2027.

First
is
also
asking
the
Office
of
Rail
and
Road
today
for
five
daily
return
paths
between
London
and
Paignton,
calling
at
Bath
Spa,
Bristol
Temple
Meads,
Taunton,
Exeter
St
David’s
and
Torquay
from
May
2028,
as
well
as
a
sixth
path
between
Highbridge
&
Burnham
and
London.
Both
the
Carmarthen
and
Paignton
routes
would
be
branded
Lumo.

The
Group
said
it
expected
the
new
services
to
be
turning
over
£50
million
after
two
years,
and
that
it
is
currently
‘considering
rolling
stock
options’.

The
move
is
the
latest
in
a
flurry
of
open
access
applications
from
the
private
sector,
which
have
been
made
as
the
Government
moves
ahead
with
nationalising
all
remaining
contracted
passenger
operators,
starting
with
South
Western
Railway
in
May.

First
has
already
gained
open
access
rights
between
London
and
Stirling,
and
wants
to
extend
its
London-Edinburgh
Lumo
route
to
Glasgow.

FirstGroup
chief
executive
officer
Graham
Sutherland
said:
‘Growing
our
open
access
rail
portfolio
is
a
key
priority
for
FirstGroup.
The
introduction
of
our
new
Carmarthen
to
London
Paddington
service
will
significantly
bolster
our
footprint,
and
should
our
other
applications
be
successful,
we
will
almost
treble
our
current
open
access
capacity
over
the
next
few
years.’