The UK rail regulator has approved extra services on the east coast mainline, opening the door for more private trains. The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) gave FirstGroup’s Lumo and Hull Trains, along with Arriva’s Grand Central, permission to run additional routes. This decision follows months of debate over rail capacity and public spending.
These extra services on the east coast mainline will connect London with cities like Glasgow, Hull, and Bradford more frequently. Lumo will now extend some of its London-Edinburgh trains to Glasgow. It also gains an additional daily return to Newcastle. Hull Trains, a sister company under FirstGroup, will add another daily return trip to its service.
Meanwhile, Arriva’s Grand Central is cleared to run more trains between London and Bradford. These approvals, however, come with limitations. The ORR rejected part of the operators’ proposals. For instance, a new direct London to Sheffield route was denied. The regulator cited limited track capacity and potential harm to performance.
Despite the expansion of private operators, the state-backed London North Eastern Railway (LNER) remains dominant. LNER will introduce a new timetable in December 2025. This change aims to reduce journey times between London and Edinburgh. It had been delayed by a year due to concerns about congestion and readiness.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander urged caution in expanding private routes. She stressed that government-funded services must remain the priority. Even so, the ORR found space for both public and private rail to grow together.
ORR’s strategy director, Stephanie Tobyn, explained the decision clearly. “These services increase connectivity,” she said. “We made sure they fit with the upcoming LNER timetable changes.” She added that both passengers and freight users would benefit from this decision.
FirstGroup CEO Graham Sutherland welcomed the approval. He said it would help grow the open access rail model and attract more passengers. Sutherland added that these services deliver major benefits to local communities.
Although the rail industry remains under national oversight through Great British Railways, extra services on the east coast mainline show that private competition is here to stay. These new routes offer more choice, improved connectivity, and quicker journeys—without sacrificing performance or public interests.
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