FirstGroup plc has submitted the first phase of an application for a new open access rail service between Hereford and London to the Office of Rail and Road (ORR).
FirstGroup plans to expand its open access rail operations as part of its successful Lumo business, building on Lumo’s existing service which has transformed long-distance connectivity between London and Edinburgh. This has helped materially grow rail demand on the East Coast Mainline in recent years, through a new and enhanced choice for customers and providing more trains to more destinations.
The new Hereford service would support further investment in new trains. In December 2024 we placed a £500m order for 14 trains from Hitachi Rail in County Durham. The Group has an option for a potential second order of similar size and the Hereford fleet would form part of this option.
FirstGroup’s proposal is for two return journeys a day (one on Sundays) between London Paddington and Hereford, calling at Bristol Parkway and Severn Tunnel Junction as well as providing direct London services at Cwmbran, Pontypool & New Inn and Abergavenny.
For Hereford, the two direct London paths each weekday would increase services on this flow from four today, to six. The new services would help mitigate the current large gaps in the timetable with additional daytime and evening arrivals into London, giving Hereford more regular connectivity. The new services would also provide the stations on the route with new direct journey opportunities to Bristol Parkway.
It is estimated that this new service would provide new links to almost 200,000 people living in the Torfaen and Monmouthshire council areas with a convenient and competitively priced direct rail service to London from their local stations without the need to change or drive to other local stations. This will help to stimulate a shift in transport mode from road travel to rail. The new service would also provide faster direct journeys from Hereford than the direct trains available today.
The new service is expected to have positive economic and social benefits for the communities it serves. Both of FirstGroup’s open access services Lumo and Hull Trains are delivering more than £1.4bn in economic benefits along their routes and FirstGroup hopes to have a similar positive effect for the South Wales and Herefordshire communities.
The service should also provide a convenient link for visitors travelling to the Brecon Beacons/ Bannau Brycheiniog National Park; Blaenavon World Heritage Site and cathedral city of Hereford, driving growth and supporting jobs in the area’s tourism sector.
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 Hereford, South Wales and London. Open access operators deliver trains to under-served routes, offering passengers choice at competitive fares. Passenger surveys routinely report very high satisfaction levels, and open access operators are giving customers new travel options and driving demand, paying their own way without public funding. 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. The new service would operate in conjunction with the Group’s links to Carmarthen, due to commence in December 2027, and it is anticipated that services could begin at the same time.
