Plans to restrict passenger access on a peak morning train service between Manchester and London have been reversed by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR). Initially, the ORR announced that the 07:00 GMT Avanti West Coast service from Manchester Piccadilly to London Euston would operate without passengers starting mid-December, citing potential negative impacts on the line’s performance.
However, following a public response to this decision, the ORR reconsidered its stance less than 24 hours later. An ORR spokesperson stated that while there were concerns regarding reliability and punctuality, they acknowledged the service’s popularity and importance, and would allow it to continue operating with passengers onboard.
Avanti West Coast expressed satisfaction with the outcome, emphasizing the significance of the service for customers traveling between two major UK cities. The spokesperson noted that the original decision would have adversely affected users of the train.
It is important to highlight that the ORR’s reversal pertains specifically to the 07:00 Manchester to London service. The regulator confirmed that other services would still not be running, including the 12:52 Blackpool North to London Euston on weekdays, the 09:39 London Euston to Blackpool North on weekdays, the 19:32 Chester to London Euston on weekdays, and the 17:53 Holyhead to London Euston service, which will terminate at Crewe on Sundays.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy7v08zkk10o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss