Grand Central trains to stop at Peterborough

More trains will stop at Peterborough's station as part of the plan

Grand Central trains will be able to stop at Peterborough after proposals were given the go-ahead by the regulator.

The Office of Rail and Road said the company could call at the city four times a day.

Travellers will be able to reach more places in the north of England direct, including Bradford and Sunderland.

The regulator said it would give passengers "more choice of how they travel".

Grand Central, part of the Arriva group, will bring in two more stops north and south bound on the East Coast Mainline.

Two services will leave London King's Cross in the morning on weekdays, heading to Bradford and Sunderland, and southbound trains will stop at Peterborough in the afternoon before heading to London.

The new services will start early in the new year, in what the company called a "major boost for regional connectivity".

Chief operating officer, Sean English, said: "We're delighted and proud to be bringing Grand Central trains to Peterborough.

"We're always looking to innovate and bring new connections to areas that are underserved by the regular timetable."

The company added there would be "significantly faster and more efficient connections", with some journey times cut by an hour.

It will join LNER, Cross Country Trains, East Midlands Railway, Great Northern and Thameslink at providing services through Peterborough.

Grand Central said it would bring its long distance rail services to Peterborough for the first time

The Office of Rail and Road, which agreed the move, said it supported "open access" to the railways where it benefitted passengers and could fit alongside existing services, without unduly impacting performance on the network.

Its director of strategy policy and public reform, Stephanie Tobyn, said: "With passenger numbers still not quite recovered following the pandemic, it's important that the network provides options for all as the industry looks to increase passenger journeys."

Guy Dangerfield, head of strategy at the independent watchdog Transport Focus, said: "Peterborough passengers will welcome having trains to more destinations without needing to change.

"And it's not just Peterborough - new options are good news for Cambridge, Ipswich and Norwich passengers changing to and from these new services as well."