ORR Approves More Open Access Services on the ECML

[weeklycommuter]

The Office of Rail and Road has just announced the approval of all the open access passenger train service applications for the East Coast Mainline for December 2025 except the the Hull Trains application for new services between London King’s Cross and Sheffield which the ORR rejected. This is the decision letter for these open access applications. It remains to be seen whether these services actually appear in the December 2025 timetable.

https://www.orr.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2025-07/2025-07-29-ecml-decision-letter.pdf

Open access applications for access to the East Coast Main Line (ECML)
1. We have carefully considered five applications to extend or add to existing open access services on the ECML through supplemental agreements to the track access contracts with Network Rail Infrastructure Limited (Network Rail). The applications were made by East Coast Trains Limited (Lumo), Grand Central Railway Company Limited (Grand Central) and Hull Trains Company Limited (Hull Trains) and were submitted to us under section 22A of the Railways Act 1993 (the Act) between January and May 2024.
2. ORR’s decisions to approve some of these applications will offer passenger opportunities for extra direct rail links between London King’s Cross and Glasgow, Hull and Newcastle and introduce services to other ECML linked destinations, including Seaham. Our decisions also provide additional opportunities for services between Wakefield and Bradford. These decisions help provide clarity, transparency and certainty for open access, freight and public service operators on the ECML in advance of implementing the December 2025 timetable.
3. We have approved an application from Lumo for one additional return service between London King’s Cross and Newcastle on weekdays and one additional service in opposing directions on a Saturday and Sunday, and the extension of existing calls at Stevenage.
4. We have approved the following elements from three of the applications:
• Grand Central – two additional Wakefield Kirkgate – Bradford Interchange services on weekdays and Saturdays; one additional Bradford Interchange – Wakefield Kirkgate service on weekdays and Saturdays; and one additional Bradford Interchange – Wakefield Kirkgate service in each direction on Sundays, and some time-limited additional Seaham calls on existing services, all on a contingent basis;
• Hull Trains – one additional northbound service on weekdays and Saturdays between London King’s Cross and Hull; and
• Lumo Glasgow extensions – the extension of two existing northbound and one existing southbound service between Edinburgh and Glasgow on weekdays and one extension in each direction on Sundays.
5. We have rejected the Hull Trains application for new services between London King’s Cross and Sheffield in its entirety.

 

[MontyP]

The Office of Rail and Road has just announced the approval of all the open access passenger train service applications for the East Coast Mainline for December 2025 except the the Hull Trains application for new services between London King’s Cross and Sheffield which the ORR rejected. This is the decision letter for these open access applications. It remains to be seen whether these services actually appear in the December 2025 timetable.

If I am reading correctly, ORR have approved an additional Hull Trains northbound London-Hull but not the corresponding southbound. How would this work operationally as it would lead to an imbalanced service (7 sthbnd, 8 nthbnd)? The service is currently balanced with 7 each way.

 

[357]

If I am reading correctly, ORR have approved an additional Hull Trains northbound London-Hull but not the corresponding southbound. How would this work operationally as it would lead to an imbalanced service (7 sthbnd, 8 nthbnd)? The service is currently balanced with 7 each way.

They run some double sets so I'm assuming they'd split one

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

The ORR has pronounced on the OA applications on the ECML, approving some, but not all.

ORR approves limited new passenger services on East Coast Main Line from December 2025 | Office of Rail and Road

The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has approved some additional services from December 2025 for three open access operators, extending or adding to their existing services on the East Coast Main Line (ECML).

www.orr.gov.uk

The additional approved services are:

• Grand Central: two additional Wakefield Kirkgate to Bradford Interchange services on weekdays and Saturdays; one additional Bradford Interchange to Wakefield Kirkgate service on weekdays and Saturdays; and one additional Bradford Interchange to Wakefield Kirkgate service in each direction on Sundays, and some additional Seaham calls on existing services
• Hull Trains: one additional northbound service weekdays and Saturdays between London King’s Cross and Hull
• Lumo (Newcastle): one additional return service between London King’s Cross and Newcastle on weekdays and one additional service in opposing directions on a Saturday and Sunday
• Lumo (Glasgow extensions): the extension of existing London King’s Cross-Edinburgh services so that Lumo can provide two northbound services and one southbound service between London King’s Cross and Glasgow on weekdays and one in each direction on Sundays

ORR said it rejected other proposed services from the above applicants, on the basis of insufficient capacity and potential performance impacts, or impact on the Secretary of State’s funds.

Services not approved include King's Cross-Sheffield (Hull Trains).

Some of the approvals are for local service extensions of existing trains off the main ECML, but the HT/Lumo additions will consume a couple of daily paths on the ECML.
Altogether, not as draconic as the recent WCML decisions, which refused any new OA services.

 

[notadriver]

Great news.

 

[styles]

Putting aside principled views on OAs, this seems reasonable. The Lumo services in particular I imagine will be hugely popular.

 

[DerekC]

What exactly does ORR mean by "One additional (Lumo) return service between London King’s Cross and Newcastle on weekdays and one additional service in opposing directions on a Saturday and Sunday"? I could speculate, but maybe somebody out there has read the application.

 

[swt_passenger]

What exactly does ORR mean by "One additional (Lumo) return service between London King’s Cross and Newcastle on weekdays and one additional service in opposing directions on a Saturday and Sunday"? I could speculate, but maybe somebody out there has read the application.

I expect it either means an up train on Saturday, balanced with a down train on Sunday, or the opposite. It probably depends how the predominant weekend flows works out?

 

[Horizon22]

They run some double sets so I'm assuming they'd split one

Yes that would be the only option or you’d unbalance depots - without a positioning move later on. Two single units would run instead of one full train, so presumably wouldn’t actually add any extra seats.

Must be of the lighter loaded services to be worth HT’s money?

Edit: it seems to be split across different days actually, so that would resolve that issue.

 

[A S Leib]

Is it known which Lumo services will be extended to Glasgow? At ~52 minutes for Waverley to Queen Street, the 05:48 would get there only around twenty minutes after the 05:37 Euston gets to Glasgow Central. Southbound, 18:40's the last daytime Euston service and the last southbound Lumo leaves Edinburgh at 19:58, so they could be competitive for the first and last services of the day from a London perspective. (19:30 Avanti vs 20:27 Lumo leaving London – would Lumo be permitted, and would there be enough demand, to get to Glasgow at ~01:40? – but the 04:28 Glasgow to Euston gets to London an hour and a half before the 06:23 Lumo does.)

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Is it known which Lumo services will be extended to Glasgow? At ~52 minutes for Waverley to Queen Street, the 05:48 would get there only around twenty minutes after the 05:37 Euston gets to Glasgow Central. Southbound, 18:40's the last daytime Euston service and the last southbound Lumo leaves Edinburgh at 19:58, so they could be competitive for the first and last services of the day from a London perspective. (19:30 Avanti vs 20:27 Lumo leaving London – would Lumo be permitted, and would there be enough demand, to get to Glasgow at ~01:40? – but the 04:28 Glasgow to Euston gets to London an hour and a half before the 06:23 Lumo does.)

Lumo will go to Glasgow Central, not Queen St.
XC takes 60-70 minutes for the trip via Carstairs (with stops at Haymarket and Motherwell).

 

[fgwrich]

Lumo will go to Glasgow Central, not Queen St.
XC takes 60-70 minutes for the trip via Carstairs (with stops at Haymarket and Motherwell).

Lumo have stated Queen Street and indeed propose to stop at Falkirk High. Any route from the E&G and Falkirk High round to Central would be time consuming and not Electrified.

 

[Tetchytyke]

Putting aside principled views on OAs, this seems reasonable. The Lumo services in particular I imagine will be hugely popular.

I agree, and it's nice to see an ECML-Glasgow link be reinstated since LNER pulled out of the route.

 

[nlogax]

I agree, and it's nice to see an ECML-Glasgow link be reinstated since LNER pulled out of the route.

Finally an opportunity for me to use them on a relatively regular basis. I'm keen to see what the Glasgow - Edinburgh pricing on Lumo will look like.

 

[A S Leib]

Finally an opportunity for me to use them on a relatively regular basis. I'm keen to see what the Glasgow - Edinburgh pricing on Lumo will look like.

Would they be likely to set flexible fares for, at most (for now), two trains per day (although the fact that there's more than enough Edinburgh to Newcastle / London passengers means they'd probably want some Glasgow passengers getting off at Edinburgh as well)?

Edit: Hull Trains has two southbound and one northbound trains per weekday at Beverley and still has TOC-specific flexible fares, so maybe they would. There's a £10.50 Hull Trains anytime day First single, undercutting the flexible fare for the non-existent Northern First Class by 50p. Anytime day singles are £2.50 vs £9.20 and anytime short returns £5 vs £11.50.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Lumo have stated Queen Street and indeed propose to stop at Falkirk High. Any route from the E&G and Falkirk High round to Central would be time consuming and not Electrified.

Yes of course Queen St as confirmed on First's web site. (ORR mentioned Central).

Award of open access rail extensions

The additional services will add another c.118m seat miles to the Group's existing open access capacity of 967m - c.19m from the Glasgow service, c.76m from the additional Lumo service and c.23m from the additional Hull Trains service. Combined with the Group's new Stirling and Carmarthen services expected to launch in mid CY 2026 and December 2027 respectively, the Group will more than double its existing open access capacity.

The Group is disappointed that the ORR has not approved its application for a new Hull Trains service between London and Sheffield and will continue to explore further potential opportunities for the route. The proposed route would have provided Sheffield the first regular service from London King's Cross since 1968 and an estimated 350,000 people in the Worksop and Woodhouse catchment areas would have had direct rail access to London, with all of the economic benefit this would have brought.

 

[FlybeDash8Q400]

I am quite surprised this was approved but the ORR (Office of Rail and Road) must be confident it can’t affect space/performance.

Any idea which services are planned to be the extended ones? I’d hope there’s space for ScotRail to restore 4tph on the E-G (Edinburgh to Glasgow) at somepoint. I suppose until we know what times it is then that remains unsolved.

Finally an opportunity for me to use them on a relatively regular basis. I'm keen to see what the Glasgow - Edinburgh pricing on Lumo will look like.

I don’t think it’ll be as well priced as people think. Risk of abstract if it’s too low. Well known that travel between Scotland’s biggest two cities is crazy high so how they plan to balance this I have no idea. It would appear (reading between the lines) that the northbound runs might return ECS (Empty Coaching Stock) from Queen Street to Craigentinny. I suspect the southbound run will similarly run ECS from Craigentinny to Queen Street. Theoretically one of the northbounds could turnaround at Queen Street and run back as the lone southbound if it was around lunchtime.

I take it the 5 cars will be able to fit in Platform 1 at Queen Street? Obviously they can fit in 2-7.

 

[Class 170101]

I take it the 5 cars will be able to fit in Platform 1 at Queen Street? Obviously they can fit in 2-7.

I think Platform 1 only takes a 4 car Class 380 /385.

 

[The Middle]

Any idea which services are planned to be the extended ones? I’d hope there’s space for ScotRail to restore 4tph on the E-G (Edinburgh to Glasgow) at somepoint. I suppose until we know what times it is then that remains unsolved.

Trains on RTT now

Realtime Trains | Departures from Glasgow Queen Street all day on 18/12/2025

Train information at Glasgow Queen Street all day on 18/12/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[godfreycomplex]

Trains on RTT now

Realtime Trains | Departures from Glasgow Queen Street all day on 18/12/2025

Train information at Glasgow Queen Street all day on 18/12/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Crikey that was quick! Interesting choice of southbound departure time, the 18:40 (or thereabouts) from Central to Euston isn’t exactly crush loaded at the best of times, and neither are southbound planes at that sort of time. Still….

 

[Tazi Hupefi]

Paths don't look great at all - huge dwells at Edinburgh. Depending on ScotRail timings, journey planners may suggest changing trains.

It's also padded to the max with allowances.

 

[The Middle]

Paths don't look great at all - huge dwells at Edinburgh. Depending on ScotRail timings, journey planners may suggest changing trains.

10 minute connectional allowance at Waverley probably makes it unlikely

 

[Bald Rick]

Crikey that was quick! Interesting choice of southbound departure time, the 18:40 (or thereabouts) from Central to Euston isn’t exactly crush loaded at the best of times, and neither are southbound planes at that sort of time. Still….

It wasnt Lumo’s choice as such.

The ORR letter explains why. In short:

- Lumo applied for nearly all their Edinburgh trains to be extended to Glasgow
- They didn’t fit in the timetable without causing much grief to other services and a risk to performance
- Only a small number of the services did fit, and those are what have been approved.
- seperately, the original extension proposals was very abstractive, to the tune of £20m pa. This failed the abstraction test. However the trains that have been approved, which as you say are at the less popular times in the market, passed the abstraction test.

 

[FlybeDash8Q400]

10 minute connectional allowance at Waverley probably makes it unlikely

You’ll be able to get off 1S95 at Waverley and switch onto the 16:45 Queen Street. Worryingly, I suspect journey planners will suggest this even if it saves literally 10 minutes. Same issue with 1S97. You can get off Waverley at get on 18:45 the Queen Street and get back maybe 5 minutes.

 

[A S Leib]

You’ll be able to get off 1S95 at Waverley and switch onto the 16:45 Queen Street. Worryingly, I suspect journey planners will suggest this even if it saves literally 10 minutes. Same issue with 1S97. You can get off Waverley at get on 18:45 the Queen Street and get back maybe 5 minutes.

Given that Lumo + ScotRail fares already exist, including for e.g. Newcastle – Glasgow, I wouldn't be surprised if that happens.

 

[FlybeDash8Q400]

Given that Lumo + ScotRail fares already exist, including for e.g. Newcastle – Glasgow, I wouldn't be surprised if that happens.

Indeed. Surely Lumo undercuts that ticket with a Lumo only version?

On a related point, I can’t see how Lumo would be allowed Scotland specific Lumo only tickets though eg an Edinburgh to Glasgow Lumo only single? As you say the Lumo+ScotRail will likely still exist.

Paths don’t get in the way of the 4tph at least. Southbound path looks pretty useless. 1S95 interestingly using Platform 2 at Haymarket - presumably as a result of Avanti’s London Euston being in way.

 

[The Planner]

Paths don't look great at all - huge dwells at Edinburgh. Depending on ScotRail timings, journey planners may suggest changing trains.

It's also padded to the max with allowances.

Apart from the dwells, I've seen a lot worse in my time.

 

[FlybeDash8Q400]

Apart from the dwells, I've seen a lot worse in my time.

An explanation for the long dwells may also be that there’s a path to Craigentinny from 1S95 - ie they have the ability to run as 10 cars from London to Edinburgh.

 

[P156KWJ]

Apart from the dwells, I've seen a lot worse in my time.

I'd agree, maybe it's because I'm used to planning freight, but there's a surprisingly small amount of adjustments in those schedules considering how difficult it can be to get in and out of places like Waverley.

 

[captain picard]

Lumo will go to Glasgow Central, not Queen St.
XC takes 60-70 minutes for the trip via Carstairs (with stops at Haymarket and Motherwell).

Yes lumo Def coming to Queen Street in November or December