https://www.orr.gov.uk/search-news/orr-open-access-services-given-green-light-between-london-and-stirling

The latest access decision by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) provides
more services for rail passengers travelling between London and central
Scotland.

ORR has today (7 March) given the go-ahead for Grand Union Trains, an open
access operator, to start a new train service between London and the city
of Stirling, from June 2025. ORR’s decision will offer more choice to
passengers, bring private sector investment to the railway and increase
competition.

Grand Union Trains will introduce four new return services per day between
London Euston and Stirling stations. These services will also call at
Milton Keynes Central, Nuneaton, Crewe, Preston, Carlisle, Lockerbie,
Motherwell, Whifflet, Greenfaulds and Larbert. Larbert, Greenfaulds and
Whifflet will receive their first direct services to London.

ORR found that the proposed services would increase choice for passengers,
significantly increasing direct journey opportunities to and from London
and central and southern Scotland, while making use of existing capacity on
the network.

The new services will be the first run by an open access operator on the
West Coast Mainline. Open access operators run services independently of
government funding as they do not have a franchise agreement with
government.

Following ORR’s decision to approve new Grand Union Trains services between
Carmarthen in south Wales and London Paddington in 2022, ORR has now
approved open access services on three of Britain’s major routes.

Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> wrote:
> https://www.orr.gov.uk/search-news/orr-open-access-services-given-green-light-between-london-and-stirling
>
> The latest access decision by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) provides
> more services for rail passengers travelling between London and central
> Scotland.
>
> ORR has today (7 March) given the go-ahead for Grand Union Trains, an open
> access operator, to start a new train service between London and the city
> of Stirling, from June 2025. ORR’s decision will offer more choice to
> passengers, bring private sector investment to the railway and increase
> competition.
>
> Grand Union Trains will introduce four new return services per day between
> London Euston and Stirling stations. These services will also call at
> Milton Keynes Central, Nuneaton, Crewe, Preston, Carlisle, Lockerbie,
> Motherwell, Whifflet, Greenfaulds and Larbert. Larbert, Greenfaulds and
> Whifflet will receive their first direct services to London.
>
> ORR found that the proposed services would increase choice for passengers,
> significantly increasing direct journey opportunities to and from London
> and central and southern Scotland, while making use of existing capacity on
> the network.
>
> The new services will be the first run by an open access operator on the
> West Coast Mainline. Open access operators run services independently of
> government funding as they do not have a franchise agreement with
> government.
>
> Following ORR’s decision to approve new Grand Union Trains services between
> Carmarthen in south Wales and London Paddington in 2022, ORR has now
> approved open access services on three of Britain’s major routes.
>
>
>

See also
https://www.orr.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2024-03/2024-03-07-grand-union-london-stirling-decision-letter.pdf

There’s 13 pages of detail there.

Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> wrote:
> Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> wrote:
>> https://www.orr.gov.uk/search-news/orr-open-access-services-given-green-light-between-london-and-stirling
>>
>> The latest access decision by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) provides
>> more services for rail passengers travelling between London and central
>> Scotland.
>>
>> ORR has today (7 March) given the go-ahead for Grand Union Trains, an open
>> access operator, to start a new train service between London and the city
>> of Stirling, from June 2025. ORR’s decision will offer more choice to
>> passengers, bring private sector investment to the railway and increase
>> competition.
>>
>> Grand Union Trains will introduce four new return services per day between
>> London Euston and Stirling stations. These services will also call at
>> Milton Keynes Central, Nuneaton, Crewe, Preston, Carlisle, Lockerbie,
>> Motherwell, Whifflet, Greenfaulds and Larbert. Larbert, Greenfaulds and
>> Whifflet will receive their first direct services to London.
>>
>> ORR found that the proposed services would increase choice for passengers,
>> significantly increasing direct journey opportunities to and from London
>> and central and southern Scotland, while making use of existing capacity on
>> the network.
>>
>> The new services will be the first run by an open access operator on the
>> West Coast Mainline. Open access operators run services independently of
>> government funding as they do not have a franchise agreement with
>> government.
>>
>> Following ORR’s decision to approve new Grand Union Trains services between
>> Carmarthen in south Wales and London Paddington in 2022, ORR has now
>> approved open access services on three of Britain’s major routes.
>>
>>
>>
>
> See also
> https://www.orr.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2024-03/2024-03-07-grand-union-london-stirling-decision-letter.pdf
>
> There’s 13 pages of detail there.

Just looking at the first few paragraphs suggests diesels under the wires
the whole way. It may be that the suburban routes north and east of
Motherwell wouldn’t handle the electrical load, but that seems unlikely.
It may be that they have a change of heart and try to get some 125 mph
EMUs, but I’d guess there aren’t m/any spare.

Sam

--
The entity formerly known as Sam.Wilson@ed.ac.uk
Spit the dummy to reply

Sam Wilson <ukr@dummy.wislons.fastmail.co.uk> wrote:
> Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> wrote:
>> Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> wrote:
>>> https://www.orr.gov.uk/search-news/orr-open-access-services-given-green-light-between-london-and-stirling
>>>
>>> The latest access decision by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) provides
>>> more services for rail passengers travelling between London and central
>>> Scotland.
>>>
>>> ORR has today (7 March) given the go-ahead for Grand Union Trains, an open
>>> access operator, to start a new train service between London and the city
>>> of Stirling, from June 2025. ORR’s decision will offer more choice to
>>> passengers, bring private sector investment to the railway and increase
>>> competition.
>>>
>>> Grand Union Trains will introduce four new return services per day between
>>> London Euston and Stirling stations. These services will also call at
>>> Milton Keynes Central, Nuneaton, Crewe, Preston, Carlisle, Lockerbie,
>>> Motherwell, Whifflet, Greenfaulds and Larbert. Larbert, Greenfaulds and
>>> Whifflet will receive their first direct services to London.
>>>
>>> ORR found that the proposed services would increase choice for passengers,
>>> significantly increasing direct journey opportunities to and from London
>>> and central and southern Scotland, while making use of existing capacity on
>>> the network.
>>>
>>> The new services will be the first run by an open access operator on the
>>> West Coast Mainline. Open access operators run services independently of
>>> government funding as they do not have a franchise agreement with
>>> government.
>>>
>>> Following ORR’s decision to approve new Grand Union Trains services between
>>> Carmarthen in south Wales and London Paddington in 2022, ORR has now
>>> approved open access services on three of Britain’s major routes.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>> See also
>> https://www.orr.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2024-03/2024-03-07-grand-union-london-stirling-decision-letter.pdf
>>
>> There’s 13 pages of detail there.
>
> Just looking at the first few paragraphs suggests diesels under the wires
> the whole way. It may be that the suburban routes north and east of
> Motherwell wouldn’t handle the electrical load, but that seems unlikely.
> It may be that they have a change of heart and try to get some 125 mph
> EMUs, but I’d guess there aren’t m/any spare.
>
> Sam
>

There’s reference to lack of electrical capacity in part(s) of the route,
but unfortunately there’s no further detail. I sort of gained the
impression that this was being used as an excuse to prevent the service
coming into being. The original application did, I believe, propose all
electric trains. The swerve to Diesel (an amendment to the original
application) seems to have circumvented these objections.

It’s worth noting that the service only has permission for 5 years, the
recasting of the timetable due to HS2 inter workings being used as the
rationale for not allowing a longer concession.