Camarthen to London Paddington train to 'bring competition to Great Western route'
Plans have been approved to for the route which spans from Paddington to Camarthen by the Office for Rail and Road
Last updated 1st Dec 2022
The Office for Rail and Road regulator has approved the new Grand Union train service - connecting Camarthen to London Paddington.
Today, the Office for Rail and Road has confirmed trains between London, Cardiff and South West Wales could be running by the end of 2024 - with a new open access regulator, 'Grand Union Trains', said by the regulator to bring competition to the Great Western Route out of Paddington Station.
The route - which includes Bristol Parkway, Cardiff and Camarthen is set to see five return services a day when it gets going in the next two years - with what the ORR say offers a 'greater choice of operator' to the network.
According to the regulator, it means lower fares, improved service quality and innovation for all passengers - with the route opened up to competition for the very first time.
Stephanie Tobyn, Director of Strategy, Policy and Reform at ORR said: "This decision supports more choice for passengers, new direct journey opportunities, more price competition, and new comfortable trains.
“The added competition should also make a significant contribution to innovation in terms of the routes served, ticketing practices and service quality improvements, by both Grand Union and through the response of existing operators.”
Back in June, the application was submitted to the ORR, but Network Rail initially voiced their concerns about network capacity - however, thanks to analysis made by the regulator, the plans have now officially been given the go-ahead for the open access operator.
This comes following Grand Union saying it has committed to 'significant investment' in new trains.
However being an open access operator, this means they will not receive public funds to operate - and that they run on third party tracks not owned by the company.
Examples of current 'open access' operator include Hull Trains and the Eurostar.
Services are due to commence sometime in 2025 using new build bi-mode trains which can operate under electric or diesel power, as not all of the route is electrified.
Ian Yeowart, Grand Union’s Managing Director said: “It is great news for passengers who may have the opportunity to use our services, and one only has to look at what happens now on the East Coast Main Line (ECML), where there are 3 competing operators, to see the significant benefits that arise when operators face some competition. We are acutely aware of the difficulties faced by the ORR in determining these applications, and previous ORR decisions have significantly benefited many users on the ECML. We expect to be able to bring those benefits to the Great Western Main Line”.
He continued: “The very significant support we have received from the Welsh Government and all areas of South and West Wales has been very important in promoting the value of the service and we are grateful for the cross party support we have had from members of the Senedd and Westminster and from a number of local authorities”.
Grand Union Trains say they look forward to continuing our work with partners and colleagues as we plan for the introduction of this new service.
The ORR says it supports new open access where it delivers competition for the benefit of passengers.
You can read the more detailed decision by the Office for Rail and Road here.
You can read more about 'open access' franchising here.