Proposals to run new train services between Manchester, the West Midlands and London Euston were unveiled earlier this month by rail operator
London Northwestern Railway. The plans are designed to improve connectivity between the Midlands and the North West and provide more choice for passengers. Under the proposals, London Northwestern Railway’s existing services between London Euston and Crewe would be extended through to Manchester Victoria and the current services between Stafford and Crewe would be extended to Manchester Airport.
As well as bringing additional capacity to Manchester, the plans will create new direct links from Rugeley, Lichfield, Tamworth and Atherstone in the West Midlands to the city and Warrington from summer 2026. The services linking Manchester city centre to London would use the operator’s brand-new Class 730 electric trains, which are manufactured in the Midlands by Alstom and will provide a significant increase in capacity.
The proposal will see London Northwestern Railway working with local operators and Network Rail to determine the best overall solution, tying in with planned upgrades to Manchester Victoria station, the TransPennine route upgrade and other local improvements in the North West.
Ian McConnell, managing director of West Midlands Trains, the operator of London Northwestern Railway, said: “This proposal puts passengers at the heart of the railway and is the common-sense solution to increase connectivity between the North West and the West Midlands following the cancellation of the northern leg of HS2.
“With platform space at Euston at a premium, the best way to provide new journey opportunities to Manchester is simply to extend existing services, rather than trying to squeeze more trains onto the congested West Coast Main Line; and unlike the Open Access model, the millions of pounds of extra revenue our proposals would generate will be returned to the taxpayer, providing a win-win for rail passengers.”
London Northwestern Railway will formally submit its plans to the Office for Rail and Road (ORR) later this year. If approved, the new services could commence from May 2026 once additional train crew have been recruited and trained.