Arriva’s Grand Central has submitted an application to the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) to expand its open access rail services in the UK.
Its new proposal aims to increase capacity by around 30 percent on its routes connecting the North East and West Yorkshire lines to London’s King’s Cross.
If approved, the extra services could launch as early as May 2025.
Arriva’s Grand Central rail submits application to expand open access services in the UK
© Arriva
Specifically, the application includes a proposal for two additional daily return services between Bradford and London. This would bring the total number of services to six a day.
In addition, it includes an extra early morning connection from York into London King’s Cross, along with a late evening return.
These new services could see more than 550,000 additional seats made available.
“These proposals would bring more services and choice to passengers, building on the success of Grand Central’s open access operations, which connect a number of under-served communities in both the North East and West Yorkshire to London. This is a growth opportunity for the railway and a positive development for passengers and for our colleagues at Grand Central. By delivering additional services through open access, we can encourage more train travel, which is good for the environment and for communities, helping to ensure Britain’s rail system can thrive long into the future.”
Arriva Group has experience with all contract types currently in use on Britain’s railway, including national rail contracts, a concessionary contract and the open access company.
Open access services aim to support connectivity across the nation without receiving government subsidy.