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The express Manchester-London 7am Avanti service will take passengers after all, after the rail regulator conceded defeat in the face of public outcry over a ruling that would have left it running as an empty “ghost train” each day.
The 7am train, the only service linking the cities in under two hours, was set to be axed from the passenger table from mid-December – but would, as the Guardian reported on Saturday, have kept running empty from Piccadilly each day so it could run morning trains back out of Euston.
The regulator, the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), said it was necessary to remove the service to give space for manoeuvre in case of disruption – despite Network Rail agreeing that Avanti could take passengers, as the train was running anyway.
However, after widespread condemnation of the bizarre ruling – and pressure from ministers and northern leaders – the ORR has announced it will overturn its own decision.
A spokesperson said: “We have taken account of all the evidence and feedback, and we have given Network Rail and Avanti the go-ahead to arrange for the 7am service to continue running with passengers.
“On the basis of the information we have, while we believe the running of this 7am service could have a negative impact on reliability and punctuality of services on the west coast mainline, we understand the importance of this service and we’ll support its continued operation. We expect train operators and Network Rail to look at how to best mitigate the performance impacts.”
As the only service to run so quickly, in one hour 59 minutes, it has long been a prized service, running non-stop from Stockport and timed conveniently to arrive in the capital shortly before 9am.
It has run since 2008 under Virgin Trains, bar a pause during the Covid pandemic and Avanti’s subsequent troubles, until 2024 when Avanti restored a full timetable.
The service has been a money-spinner for train operators and the railway more generally, with revenue now passed on to the Department for Transport under the Avanti contract.
The rail minister, Peter Hendy, and the transport secretary, Heidi Alexander, are understood to have leaned on the ORR to think again.
Alexander said: “Passengers were rightly baffled by this decision, which is wrong for our economy. I am pleased the regulator has reconsidered.
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“We need one organisation to run the railway, not 17 different ones. The railways bill, being debated in parliament next week, will ensure problems like these are eliminated.”
The fast train was popular with business travellers but important for many passengers.
Chloe Chapman, 31, from Crewe, a full-time carer for her youngest child who is disabled, said the ORR’s reversal was “amazing news”, saving what had been “an essential, accessible lifeline. For us, the 7am train has made 9am hospital appointments feasible without the added strain of long car journeys, navigating central London traffic, or enduring extremely long and exhausting days.”
An Avanti spokesperson said: “We are delighted that the Office of Rail and Road has given us permission to reinstate the 07.00 Manchester to Euston weekday service in our December timetable. The original decision would have had a detrimental impact on customers who use this train and this development is a welcome boost for those who want to take advantage of a sub two-hour service between two of the UK’s major cities.”
