The Office of Rail and Road has announced that they have given Avanti West Coast permission to run its early morning Manchester to London service with passengers.
It was recently announced that Avanti West Coast couldn’t run the 7 am service with passengers beyond the December timetable change, as the ORR believes this service could have a negative impact on punctuality on the West Coast Main Line.
However, the ORR have now overturned this, saying that they recognise the importance and popularity of the service.
The service is usually one of the busiest as it arrives into London Euston before 9 am.
“We have taken account of all the evidence and feedback, and we have given Network Rail and Avanti the go ahead to arrange for the 7am service to continue running with passengers. On the basis of the information we have, we believe the running of this 7am service could have a negative impact on reliability and punctuality of services on the West Coast Main Line, but we recognise its importance and popularity and will support its continued operation.”
ORR spokesperson
Responses
Might of been better if the ORR had asked Avanti why their 07.30 from Euston to Glasgow regularly either departs Euston late ..typically behind the 07.33 and/or then looses time to the likes or Preston and Lancaster …
While this was an unbelievable plan, it sits alongside, two carriage units heading into Manchester during the morning rush hour, while 6 cars go in the other direction, and the reverse at night. Also why no one thought that not expanding the Deansgate corridor, would render the Ordsal Chord almost useless.
It only takes two hours to London, so who needs HS2?
Is this the same ORR that keeps granting “Revenue Extractor services” by way of Open Access Operators on both the East Coast and West Coast Main Lines?
Well, common sense seems to have at last permeated the ORR.
But who in ORR first decided that a train to London, leaving at 7.00am, which is hardly the crack of dawn, should be compelled to run without passengers?
It seems to suggest that the ORR wishes it didn’t have to deal with pesky passengers at all.