FirstGroup


has
applied
for
an
open
access
licence
to
run
trains
between
London
and
Hereford.

Its
application
to
the
Office
of
Rail
and
Road
sets
out
proposals
for
two
return
journeys
a
day
(with
one
on
Sundays)
between
London
Paddington
and
Hereford,
calling
at
Bristol
Parkway
and
Severn
Tunnel
Junction
as
well
as
at
Cwmbran,
Pontypool
&
New
Inn
and
Abergavenny.
The
services
would
be
branded
Lumo.

First
already
possesses
open
access
licences
for
new
services
from
London
to
Stirling
and
Carmarthen,
but
other
applications,
including
some
from
First,
are
still
outstanding.
Although
the
Prime
Minister
has
praised
open
access
in
principle,
the
Department
for
Transport
has
declined
to
support
most
of
these
applications,
with
the
exception
of
a
bid
from
Alstom
to
run
between
London
and
Wrexham,
but
the
Wrexham
proposals
have
been
greeted
with
caution
by
Network
Rail,
which
is
concerned
about
the
presence
of
level
crossings
on
the
route
and
also
limited
capacity
nearer
London.

A
consultation
period
over
the
Hereford
plan
will
now
follow,
as
well
as
discussions
with
Network
Rail
to
secure
the
required
approvals.
First
said
the
new
service
would
operate
in
conjunction
with
First’s
London-Carmarthen
service,
which
is
due
to
start
in
December
2027,
and
First
is
hoping
that
its
Hereford
service
could
begin
at
the
same
time.

First
placed
an
order
for
14
trains
from
Hitachi
worth
£500
million
in
December,
and
it
has
an
option
for
a
second
order.

FirstGroup’s
chief
executive
officer
Graham
Sutherland
said:
‘We
have
extensive
experience
of
running
open
access
rail
operations
and
we
want
to
bring
our
successful
Lumo
service
to
this
new
route
that
connects
Hereford,
South
Wales
and
London.
Open
access
operators
deliver
trains
to
under-served
routes,
offering
passengers
choice
at
competitive
fares.
Passenger
surveys
routinely
report
very
high
satisfaction
levels,
and
open
access
operators
are
giving
customers
new
travel
options
and
driving
demand,
paying
their
own
way
without
public
funding.
We
will
be
working
closely
with
stakeholders
as
we
build
our
application
and
our
case
for
this
new
service.’

First
is
losing
all
its
former
franchise
contracts
between
now
and
2027.
South
Western
Railway
was
renationalised
on
25
May
this
year,
and
Avanti
West
Coast
and
Great
Western
Railway
will
also
return
to
public
ownership
in
due
course.

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