London Northwestern Railway has unveiled plans to run new train services connecting Manchester, the West Midlands and London Euston.
The rail operator intends to submit formal proposals to the Office for Rail and Road (ORR) later this year.
If approved, the new services could commence from May 2026 once an additional train crew have been recruited and trained.
Under the proposals, London Northwestern Railway’s existing services between London Euston and Crewe would be extended through to Manchester Victoria and the current services between Stafford and Crewe would be extended to Manchester Airport.
According to the rail operator, the plans will create new direct links from Rugeley, Lichfield, Tamworth and Atherstone in the West Midlands to the city and Warrington.
Ian McConnell, managing director of West Midlands Trains, operator of London Northwestern Railway, said: “This proposal puts passengers at the heart of the railway and is the common-sense solution to increase connectivity between the North West and the West Midlands following the cancellation of the northern leg of HS2.
“With platform space at Euston at a premium, the best way to provide new journey opportunities to Manchester is simply to extend existing services, rather than trying to squeeze more trains onto the congested West Coast Main Line.”
Services linking Manchester city centre to London will use the Northwersten Railways new Class 730 electric trains which are manufactured in the Midlands by Alstom.
According to the operator, the trains will increase capacity with each 10-car train being able to carry more than 1,200 passengers.
Northwestern Railway said the proposal will see the company working with local operators and Network Rail to determine the best overall solution, tying in with planned upgrades to Manchester Victoria station, the TransPennine route upgrade and other local improvements in the North West.
Dominic Booth, chief executive officer of WMT's parent company, Transport UK Group, said: "Our new service proposals represent a significant step forward in enhancing the rail network between Manchester and London.”
Ian Mconnell further mentioned the millions of pounds of extra revenue generated from the company’s proposals will be returned to the taxpayer as he described it as a “win-win” for rail passengers.
Additionally, Ian believes the new eco-friendly electric trains will provide an “affordable alternative” compared to car and coach with fares he says will be up to 50% cheaper than the main intercity operator.