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Proposals to introduce new rail services linking London with Rochdale, Wrexham and Blackpool have been turned down by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR).
The industry regulator warned on Thursday that adding extra trains to the West Coast Main Line would “likely increase delays and cancelled trains for passengers”.
The watchdog refused an application from the Wrexham, Shropshire and Midlands Railway Company (WSMR) for four return journeys between Wrexham and London Euston, alongside Lumo’s request for up to four return services running from Rochdale to Euston.
Avanti West Coast’s bid to operate additional services between Euston and Blackpool was also rejected.
“Gaps in the current timetable need to provide important space for trains to recover when disruption occurs, minimising delays to passengers,” the regulator said.
“ORR concluded that adding more services into these windows in the timetable for recovery would reduce that resilience, increasing the risk of disruption spreading to other services and affecting more passengers.”
Stephanie Tobyn, ORR’s director of strategy, policy and reform, said: “New services, destinations and greater choice can bring real benefits for passengers and communities.
“But the West Coast Main Line is already under significant pressure, with performance reflecting limited resilience on a heavily used part of the rail network.
“Our detailed analysis has shown that adding more trains to the current timetable would reduce the ability to recover when disruption occurs, increasing the risk of delays spreading and making reliability of the network worse for all passengers.”
The ORR said its assessment and decision came after similar applications were rejected in 2025.
Avanti West Coast services will be brought into public ownership next March, according to Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander.
Ministers said the nationalisation effort will coincide with infrastructure upgrades aimed at cutting delays and boosting the passenger experience.
Ms Alexander stated: “For years, we’ve heard stories of Avanti underperforming, with passengers left paying the price. Enough is enough.
“That is why we will bring Avanti into public ownership at the earliest opportunity, in March next year.
“This Labour Government is committed to putting essential services back in public hands, connecting people to opportunity and delivering growth in every postcode and this move reflects that commitment.
“We will also introduce a comprehensive improvement plan, focused on delivering for passengers, not shareholders.”
