New train firm to compete on London - Scotland route from next summer
Grand Union Trains will run four times a day from Stirling
A new train service between London and the city of Stirling is being given the go-ahead, providing more competition for Avanti West Coast and LNER.
Rail regulator the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) said it has approved an application by a new open access operator, Grand Union Trains, to run four daily return services via the west coast route to London Euston from June 2025.
It will become the fifth company operating train services from Scotland to London.
For many towns in the central belt of Scotland it will give passengers the option of a direct service to the UK capital without having to change trains in Glasgow or Edinburgh
The services will call at Larbert, Greenfaulds, Whifflet as well as Motherwell and Lockerbie.
There will also be calls at Milton Keynes Central, Nuneaton, Crewe, Preston and Carlisle.
The move comes in the wake of low-cost operator Lumo announcing it wants to extend some of its existing services from London Kings Cross to Edinburgh to run through to Glasgow.
More choice
The ORR said it would significantly increase choice for passengers while making use of existing capacity on the network.
READ MORE: Avanti wins 9-year deal to run west coast train route
The regulator's director of strategy, policy and reform Stephanie Tobyn said: "Our decision helps increase services for passengers and boost competition on Britain's railway network.
"By providing more trains serving new destinations, open access operators offer passengers more choice in the origin and price of their journey, leading to better outcomes for rail users."
In December 2022, the ORR approved an application by Grand Union Trains to launch a new service between London Paddington and Carmarthen.
The operator said it will announce a start date for this route once it receives likely delivery dates from train suppliers.
Grand Union Trains will run on an open access basis, meaning it will receive no taxpayer-funded subsidies and take on all revenue risk.
It will be the first open access operator on the West Coast Main Line.