THE borough could be set to get a rail service to London after a transport operator drew up plans to reopen a line.

FirstGroup plc has submitted the first phase of an application for a new open access rail service between Rochdale and London.

Newton-le-Willows would be among the stops on the route.

The submission has been sent in to the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), restoring this direct link for the first time in almost a quarter of a century.

FirstGroup plans to expand its open access rail operations as part of its Lumo business.

All of the trains on this new route would be electric and battery powered. The service will also be operated by brand new trains built in the UK.

What is the proposal?

FirstGroup’s proposal is for six return journeys a day aims to restore a direct Rochdale to London link via Manchester Victoria which last ran in the year 2000.

The trains will run from Rochdale to London Euston, calling at Manchester Victoria, Eccles, Newton-le-Willows and Warrington Bank Quay.

It points out that services to Newton-le-Willows will deliver greater rail connectivity for St Helens.

For instance, passengers could pick up a service at Lea Green and travel to Newton, where they would be able to catch the service.

The lack of a service to London has often been cited as a weakness for the St Helens borough, with neighbouring towns such as Warrington and Wigan both having much stronger rail links.

The route couold also bring wider benefits for the North West.

The station at Eccles provides connectivity for other parts of the City of Salford, including the fast-growing MediaCity area, via the nearby interchange with Metrolink.

According to FirstGroup plc, it is estimated that this new service would provide 1.6m people in the North West with a convenient and competitively priced direct rail service to London from stations that are more local to them, helping to stimulate a shift in transport mode from coach and car travel to rail!.

Where else are Lumo services?

Lumo launched in October 2021 between London, Newcastle and Edinburgh on the East Coast Mainline and discussions are currently underway to extend the existing service to and from Glasgow.

The Rochdale service would be the company’s second route.

FirstGroup Chief Executive Officer, Graham Sutherland said: “We have extensive experience of running open access rail operations and we want to bring our successful Lumo service to this new route that connects Rochdale and London.

"We have seen the level of growth and opportunity that is possible with open access, as well as the positive effect it has on the wider market, including economic and environmental benefits.

"In addition, the new service will help to drive modal shift from road to rail between the North West and London.

"We will be working closely with stakeholders as we build our application and our case for this new service.”

FirstGroup has submitted a formal application to the ORR.

A consultation period will now follow, as well as discussion with Network Rail to secure the required approvals.

It is anticipated that services could begin in the 2027 calendar year.