Luton Airport could get a direct rail link to Manchester under new Arriva plans
Passengers travelling to and from Luton Airport could benefit from direct rail connections to Manchester and other destinations in the North West under plans submitted to the rail regulator.
Transport company Arriva has applied to the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) to operate a new service between Manchester Piccadilly and London St Pancras through its Grand Central subsidiary.
If approved, the service would call at Luton Airport Parkway five times a day in each direction, with trains potentially beginning in May 2029.
The proposal, which is seeking access rights for seven years, would provide direct connections to destinations including Stockport, Macclesfield, Stoke-on-Trent, Derby, Leicester and Wellingborough.
Arriva said the service would restore long-distance rail connections to Luton Airport Parkway and improve access to London Luton Airport for passengers travelling from the North West and Staffordshire.
The proposed route would use spare off-peak capacity on the Midland Main Line rather than adding trains to the busy West Coast Main Line.
Chris Brandon, director at Grand Central, said: “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.”
The proposed route would also serve Congleton and Uttoxeter, which Arriva said would receive their first direct trains to London.
The company said passengers travelling from Luton Airport Parkway would also be able to connect to international rail services at St Pancras.