PLANS to run a new train service from Rugby to Manchester have been welcomed by the town’s rail users.
London Northwestern Railway is proposing to extend the hourly service which currently runs from Rugby to Crewe, adding stops in Warrington and Manchester city centre.
A London Northwestern Railway spokesperson said: “We are aware of other proposals to bring additional capacity to Manchester. However, with platform space at London Euston in short supply, we believe the common sense solution is to extend our existing services between Crewe and London Euston, rather than adding more trains onto the busy West Coast Main Line.
“The extra revenue generated, should our plans get the go-ahead, will be returned to the taxpayer.
“Following the cancellation of the northern leg of HS2, these proposals will provide much-needed connectivity between Manchester, the West Midlands and London, with thousands of extra seats every day.”
Stephanie Clifford, the Chair of Rugby Rail Users Group, welcomed the proposal because it would bring extra journey opportunities.
She said: “It’s an interesting proposal for Rugby, as it would provide a direct service to Warrington and an additional direct link to Manchester. Rugby already has a direct fast train to and from Manchester every hour.”
However, she rejected the notion that the extended service could replace the northern leg of HS2.
“Some people are optimistically saying that it is an alternative to the cancelled part of HS2,” she said. “They are wrong – it will be a slow train which has limited capacity as this service is already well-used.
“There is also a possibility that this proposal has been put up in order to counter an open-access operator application for the same route, which would not call at Rugby.”
London Northwestern Railway will submit its proposal to the Office for Rail and Road for consideration later this year. If approved, the extended service will begin running in summer 2026.
Email [email protected] to provide feedback on the plans.
