• Arriva's Grand Central applied to the Office of Rail and Road to launch a Manchester Piccadilly–London St Pancras service.
• The proposal seeks seven-year track access rights, with five daily trains in each direction planned from May 2029.
• Trains would use spare off-peak Midland Main Line capacity rather than the busy West Coast Main Line.

Disclaimer: This news brief was created by Public Technologies (PUBT) using generative artificial intelligence. While PUBT strives to provide accurate and timely information, this AI-generated content is for informational purposes only and should not be interpreted as financial, investment, or legal advice. Arriva plc published the original content used to generate this news brief on November 13, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained therein.