FirstGroup plans new service between Sheffield and London
FirstGroup has applied to run trains on a route between Sheffield and London (Image credit: Pixabay)
FirstGroup has revealed plans for a new rail service between Sheffield and London, including direct trains from Nottinghamshire.
The operator has submitted the first phase of an application for a new open access rail service to the Office of Rail and Road (ORR).
It plans to expand its open access rail operations as part of its Hull Trains business, building on the existing service between Hull and London.
FirstGroup’s proposals comprise two return journeys a day from London King’s Cross, calling at Retford, Worksop, Woodhouse and Sheffield. It is aiming to provide a faster link between London and Sheffield than alternative services.
The new proposed route would give Sheffield the first regular service from London King’s Cross since 1968, and will also give Worksop in Nottinghamshire the first regular direct London trains in decades. FirstGroup estimates there are 350,000 people in the Worksop and Woodhouse catchment areas who will have direct rail access to London because of these proposals.
FirstGroup chief executive Graham Sutherland said: “We want to leverage our extensive experience of running open access services and repeat the success of Hull Trains and Lumo through this new route that connects London and Sheffield.
“We have seen the level of growth and opportunity that is possible with open access, as well as the positive effect it can have on the wider market, including economic and environmental benefits.
“The new service will help to drive modal shift from road to rail by offering customers a more sustainable travel alternative between the two cities. We will be working closely with stakeholders as we build our application and our case for this new offering.”
FirstGroup’s second open access service, Lumo, launched in October 2021 between London and Edinburgh.
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