A new player is entering the rail market. Grand Union Trains will launch services between London and Scotland in June next year.
The rail regulator has approved the new route, which will see four daily return trains running between London Euston and Stirling along the West Coast Main Line (WCML).
The new services will stop at key stations, including Milton Keynes, Nuneaton, Crewe, Preston, and Carlisle, before crossing the border and stopping at Lockerbie, Motherwell, Whifflet, Greenfaulds, and Larbert. Larbert, Greenfaulds, and Whifflet will receive their first direct services to London on this line.
Train Company (Credits: The Sun)
Unlike traditional franchise-operated services, Grand Union Trains will operate as an open-access operator, meaning they are not reliant on government funding or franchise agreements. This move marks the first time an open-access operator will run services on the WCML.
Details such as ticket prices and journey times have not yet been released. Currently, the London to Stirling route is operated by LNER from King’s Cross via Edinburgh, taking just over five hours. Additionally, there is a Caledonian Sleeper service from Euston, which takes nearly eight hours.
The introduction of Grand Union Trains adds a new dimension to travel between London and Scotland, offering passengers more choices and potentially impacting existing operators on the route.
