Avanti west coast has reversed a controversial decision that would have seen one of Manchester’s most important morning trains run without passengers.
The original plan, announced last week by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), planned to turn the 7:00am service from Manchester Piccadilly to London Euston into what critics are calling a “ghost train”. The train would have completed the journey with staff on board but no paying passengers, as part of a wider attempt against possible service disruption on the West Coast Main Line.
The proposal initiated widespread backlash across Greater Manchester. Regular commuters, business leaders, and students travelling to the capital said the removal of the service would make it harder to reach London before the beginning of the working day. Many described it as another setback for rail connectivity in the North.
Within 48 hours, the ORR announced a U-turn. The regulator now states that passengers will be able to use the 7am service after all, following the significant public concern and disappointment expressed since the public decision.
Avanti West Coast welcomed the reversal, calling the early-morning train a “vital link” for passengers and confirming it will remain in the timetable when the new schedule begins later this month, 15 December.
Local leaders argue that incidents like this highlight how fragile the region’s connections to London and the south remain. For now, the 7am service remains, but many warn the situation shows the pressure that the current rail system is under, and how easily key services can be put at risk.