Arriva


is
making
a
fresh
application
to
run
open
access
services,
in
spite
of
discouraging
indications
from
the
Department
for
Transport,
which
has
highlighted
possible
path
shortages.

Arriva
Group
is
notifying
Network
Rail
today
that
it
is
submitting
an
open
access
application
to
the
Office
of
Rail
and
Road
to
run
direct
services
between
Cleethorpes,
Grimsby,
Habrough,
Scunthorpe
and
London.
Grand
Central
already
serves
the
section
between
London
King’s
Cross
and
Doncaster,
but
the
route
onwards
to
Cleethorpes
would
be
new
territory.

Arriva
said
local
people
in
north
Lincolnshire
have
been
campaigning
for
the
restoration
of
direct
trains
to
London
which
last
ran
over
30
years
ago.
Arriva
is
proposing
to
run
four
return
servuces
each
day,
which
would
provide
more
than
775,000
seats
a
year.

Arriva’s
UK
Trains
division
interim
managing
director
Amanda
Furlong
said:
‘Arriva
wants
to
make
travelling
by
train
as
accessible
as
possible
and
this
proposal
will
offer
a
much-needed,
direct
connection
between
major
Lincolnshire
towns
and
the
capital,
providing
significant
connectivity
benefits
for
communities
and
businesses
and
driving
long-term
economic
growth
for
the
region.’

The
ORR
is
currently
considering
a
number
of
open
access
applications,
including
one
from
Virgin
for
at
least
35
trains
a
day
from
London
Euston
to
destinations
in
north
west
England
and
Scotland,
but
the
DfT
has
warned
that
capacity
is
limited
on
the
West
Coast
Main
Line.

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