Arriva Group has notified Network Rail in the UK of its intention to submit an open access application to the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) to launch direct rail services between Cleethorpes, Grimsby, and London.
The proposal includes the use of Grand Central’s existing “open access” route to Doncaster and expansion to new areas in East Lincolnshire, including Cleethorpes, which has lacked direct links to London for more than three decades, according to the operating company.
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Grand Central is an open-access train operating company and a part of the Arriva group.
If approved, the new connections will offer four additional return services daily and provide more than 775,000 extra seats each year from Cleethorpes and Grimsby to London’s Kings Cross.
According to a study by the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership, a Cleethorpes-London service could generate up to £30.1m ($38.8m) annually for the region.
In addition to increasing capacity, the proposed service aims to enhance connectivity and boost the local economy.
Arriva UK Trains division interim managing director Amanda Furlong said: “Arriva wants to make travelling by train as accessible as possible and this proposal will offer a much-needed, direct connection between major Lincolnshire towns and the capital, providing significant connectivity benefits for communities and businesses and driving long-term economic growth for the region.”
Arriva operates under various contract types, including national rail contracts with Chiltern and CrossCountry, a concessionary contract with Arriva Rail London, and the open access model with Grand Central.
Grand Central has already submitted two other applications to the ORR, including proposals for increased services between Bradford and London, as well as additional early morning and late evening returns between York and London.
The operator is also seeking to extend its track access rights until 2038.
In January 2024, the European Commission approved the acquisition of Arriva by I Squared Capital, a private equity firm.
Arriva was sold by Deutsche Bahn to the private equity firm in October 2023.
