A train service between Manchester and London is to operate for five months without passengers, to the anger of rail users.
From Dec 15, Avanti West Coast’s 7am service will run from Manchester Piccadilly to London Euston on weekdays, but it will not be taking paying customers until May next year.
The decision has been made by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), which claims it will help regulate the service between the two cities.
The ruling, which means about 100 passenger-less services will be sent between the two cities over the five months, has angered rail passengers in the North, who use the inter-city route because it takes only two hours.
Passengers expressed their frustration at the decision on social media. “What’s the point in that? If it’s running but empty, why not have passengers on it? That’s ridiculous,” Amy Mower said on a rail passenger page on Facebook.
“Must cost a lot to run. Might as well have passengers. Passengers get their service and the rail company makes money.”
Plan ‘seems insane’
On another Facebook page, David Butler wrote: “Seems absolutely insane not to allow passengers on board”, while Graham West commented: “And people keep saying we don’t need HS2.”
The ORR insisted its ruling was based on “robust evidence” from Network Rail. The regulator argued that running the service without passengers would make it easier for operators to fix any problems on the network. A non-passenger service, it said by way of example, could be re-routed or held back with fewer complications.
An Avanti West Coast spokesman said it was “disappointed” with the ORR’s ruling, as well as its decisions either to withdraw or alter four other weekday services.
Other routes cancelled
Routes being cancelled include the 12.52pm from Blackpool to London Euston (Monday to Friday), the 9.39am from Euston to Blackpool North (Monday to Friday) and the 7.32pm from Chester to Euston (Monday to Friday).
The Sunday 5.53pm service from Holyhead to Euston will now terminate at Crewe.
Despite the cancellations, the Avanti West Coast spokesman said the rail operator would still be delivering more services across the network from the start of the new December timetable.
There are up to 112 train services between Manchester and London each day, which equates to about three to four trains per hour. Avanti West Coast and LNER (to Kings Cross) are the two main providers.
The average price for an Avanti West Coast train from Manchester to London is about £34 for standard class, £66 for standard premium and from £147.50 for first class.
