New train services between Manchester and London have been proposed following the scrapping of HS2.
The proposals were unveiled by rail operator London Northwestern Railway (LNWR) earlier this month (Monday 1 July), and are designed to ‘improve connectivity’ between the Midlands and the North West, as well as provide more choice for passengers.
Under the proposals, London Northwestern Railway’s existing services between London Euston and Crewe would be extended through to Manchester Victoria, and the current services between Stafford and Crewe would be extended to Manchester Airport.
As well as bringing additional capacity to Manchester, the plans will create new direct links from Rugeley, Lichfield, Tamworth, and Atherstone in the West Midlands, to the city centre and Warrington, from summer 2026.
Plans for new Manchester to London train services have been unveiled / Credit: LNWR | Flickr
The services linking Manchester city centre to London would use the LNWR’s brand-new Class 730 electric trains, which will provide a significant increase in capacity – with each 10-car train able to carry more than 1,200 passengers.
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LNWR will work with local operators and Network Rail to determine the “best overall solution”.
The proposed plans will also tie-in with planned upgrades to Manchester Victoria station, the TransPennine route upgrade, and other local improvements in the North West.
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New train crew and management jobs will also be created in the North West, on top of the the economic benefits that come with the generating of additional revenue and enhancing connectivity between two of the UK’s largest city regions under the proposals.
The proposals follow the Government’s scrapping of the northern leg of HS2 / Credit: National Rail
“This proposal puts passengers at the heart of the railway,” commented Ian McConnell, who is the Managing Director of West Midlands Trains, which operates London Northwestern Railway, as the plans were unveiled this week.
“It’s the common sense solution to increase connectivity between the North West and the West Midlands, following the cancellation of the northern leg of HS2.
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“With platform space at Euston at a premium, the best way to provide new journey opportunities to Manchester is simply to extend existing services, rather than trying to squeeze more trains onto the congested West Coast Main Line.”
LNWR will formally submit its plans to the Office for Rail and Road (ORR) later this year, and if approved, the new services could start from May 2026 once additional train crew have been recruited and trained.
Public urged to call the police if they see this wanted man
Daisy Jackson
Cheshire Police are appealing for the public’s help in tracing a wanted man with links to Macclesfield and Alsager.
Joshua Wyatt, 34, is wanted on recall to prison, and officers are urging anyone who has seen him or knows of his whereabouts to come forward.
Wyatt is described as being 183cm (6ft) tall and of medium build, with a bald head and blue eyes.
Police believe he has links to both Macclesfield and Alsager.
Anyone who sees Wyatt or has information about where he may be is asked to contact Cheshire Police on 101 or report information via the force’s website.
Information should be provided quoting reference number 26000809013.
Huge shuttle bus effort laid on to get Manchester United fans to Old Trafford amid tram disruption
Daisy Jackson
Transport for Greater Manchester has announced a shuttle bus scheme to help Manchester United fans get to Old Trafford this week, amid major tram disruption.
Fans won’t be able to use trams to get to the ground as usual, due to huge improvement works which are in place until Monday 2 November.
There’ll be no trams at all on the Altrincham, Trafford Park, and Eccles lines, with Airport and East Didsbury trams only going as far as Firswood.
That means that fans heading to Manchester United’s home game against Bournemouth would have been a little stuck without this newly-announced shuttle bus service.
Frequent dedicated shuttle buses will run running Piccadilly Gardens, Altrincham Interchange and the Trafford Centre, taking fans directly to Old Trafford before the game.
Frequencies range from five to 20 minutes depending on the route and time, with details available online. Return services will be in place after the final whistle.
TfGM staff will be at key stops and interchanges throughout the day to help fans get to the match and provide travel advice.
Huge shuttle bus effort laid on to get Manchester United fans to Old Trafford amid tram disruption. Credit: TfGM
Ian Davies, TfGM’s Network Director for Metrolink, said: “There is no good time to disrupt passengers to carry out these works, and this is the first time in over a decade that trams won’t serve Old Trafford on a match day, but these works are essential and will enable us to provide a better service in future. I am very sorry to fans who face disruption.
“We’ve put a range of alternative travel options in place, including dedicated shuttle buses, bolstered Bee Network bus services, rail options and ticket acceptance arrangements will help fans get to and from the game.
“Journey options will be different from usual, so we would encourage supporters to plan ahead, check their route and our website before they travel and leave plenty of time to get to and from the stadium.”
TfGM is advising supporters to leave around an hour earlier to help make sure they arrive in time for kick-off.
Emily Sergeant -
2nd July 2024 
