Stoke-on-Trent could gain a new direct rail link with Manchester, London and Luton Airport.

Public transport company Arriva has today (Friday 13 November) formally applied to the Office of Rail and Road to run a train service between Manchester Piccadilly and London St Pancras.

The route would also stop at Stockport, Macclesfield, Congleton, Uttoxeter, Derby, Loughborough, Leicester, Wellingborough, and Luton Airport Parkway.

Using spare off-peak capacity on the Midland Main Line rather than adding trains to the busy West Coast Main Line, the proposed service would provide five trains a day in each direction.

Its timetable is said to account for existing platform capacity at Manchester Piccadilly and London St Pancras.

Grand Central, Arriva's open access operator, is seeking track access rights for seven years, with services planned to begin in May 2029.

Chris Brandon, director at Grand Central, said: "For nearly 20 years, Grand Central has demonstrated the difference direct rail connections can make to communities like Sunderland, Hartlepool and Bradford.

"We want to bring those same benefits to more places, giving passengers greater choice and opening up new opportunities to travel sustainably on public transport.

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"This is an exciting and innovative proposal that would make better use of existing railway capacity to connect communities that have lacked direct long-distance rail links.

"By bringing new investment and competition to the network, at no additional cost to the taxpayer, we can deliver real benefits for passengers and the places we serve.

"We look forward to working with the ORR and Network Rail as they consider our application."

Grand Central has operated open access services since 2007, connecting communities across Yorkshire and the North East directly with London King's Cross.

Arriva has also committed £300 million to a new fleet of tri-mode trains for Grand Central, to be manufactured by Hitachi Rail at Newton Aycliffe in County Durham.

The investment will support the operator's plans to expand open access services and connect more communities directly with key destinations across Britain.

This includes a separate application that is currently under review for a new service between Newcastle and Brighton via Gatwick Airport, restoring a direct link lost in 2008.