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A train service transporting commuters from London from Manchester is set to run empty for around five months due to a decision by the rail regulator.

A verdict by the rail regulatory body implies the 07:00 GMT train run by the rail operator from Manchester Piccadilly to the capital will still operate but will exclusively serve to transport employees starting the middle of December.

An operator representative expressed they were "let down" with the outcome, which would "definitely affect those passengers who regularly take these trains".

An ORR official indicated the decision was founded on "solid data" from the infrastructure manager to guard against potential service disruption on the West Coast Main Line.

Network Rail declined to comment.

Specifics of the Service Changes

The express train, which arrives in the capital in less than 120 minutes, will continue to leave from Manchester station at 07:00 on weekday mornings, but will not be available to commuters.

It will, alternatively, ferry Avanti staff from London from Manchester when the updated schedule takes effect on December 15th.

The ruling implies the train could operate for more than 100 journeys without fare-paying customers on board.

An Avanti West Coast spokesperson clarified they were displeased with the regulator's determination not to grant access rights from December for four weekday services they currently operated, such as the 7:00 AM fast service from London from Manchester.

The ORR also mandated a weekend train which presently operates from London from Holyhead to terminate at Crewe station, they noted.

"This will significantly affect those customers who already use these services," they said.

"Nonetheless, we will continue to provide additional services across our network from the beginning of the winter schedule, including further additional trains on our Liverpool line."

The spokesperson verified that the services being withdrawn were:

• 7:00 AM GMT: Manchester station to Euston station (Monday to Friday)
• 12:52 PM GMT: Blackpool station – Euston station (Monday to Friday)
• 09:39 GMT: Euston station – Blackpool station (Weekdays)
• 19:32 GMT: Chester – Euston station (Monday to Friday)
• 17:53 GMT: Holyhead station – London Euston ends at Crewe (Sundays)

Regulatory Rationale

An regulatory official stated: "Our ruling on the Manchester-London train was grounded in robust evidence submitted by Network Rail that introducing trains within 'buffer' slots on the main rail line would have a detrimental impact on reliability.

"We identified that this train would run in one of those paths. If Avanti runs the train as empty coaching stock (ECS), ECS can be operated with greater flexibility (held back or redirected) than a booked passenger service.

"This helps with performance management and operational restoration during incidents."

The regulator said Avanti was earlier granted the permission to run this train from spring 2025 for the duration of a single schedule cycle only.

This was on the basis that another operator's Stirling services were not operating at the moment but the those trains are anticipated to start operating during the December 2025 schedule update.

The ORR added that under the new timetable, new open access rail operations, operated by the competing operator to Stirling, Scotland, were due to start.