New Grand Central bid for direct Newcastle-Brighton service submitted

Arriva Group has unveiled plans to introduce the first-ever direct rail service between Newcastle and Brighton, passing through London Gatwick Airport.

The service would be operated by Grand Central and is aiming for a December 2026 launch date with plans for five return services per day.

Although the service would run on the East Coast Main line (ECML) with stops at Durham, Darlington, Northallerton and York all planned. It will  leave the ECML at Doncaster and head towards Birmingham New Street via Sheffield, Burton-Upon-Trent and Derby on the Midland Main line.

It’ll then use part of the Chiltern Main line with stops at Warwick Parkway, Banbury and Oxford planned before stopping at Reading.

Arriva intends to bypass Central London, instead calling Wokingham, Guildford, Redhill and London Gatwick before calling at Haywards Heath and finally Brighton. The proposed service has been submitted to the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) and formally notified to Network Rail.

RAIL understands that Grand Central intends to start the services with Class 180s or with its 221s and will mean that it will be operating using 100% diesel traction at the beginning.

It remains hopeful however that it will be able to introduce new-build rolling stock to the line in the future including possibly introducing its new bi-mode units which Grand Central recently announced. Nine trains and 45 rail cars are to be constructed at Hitachi Rail’s Newton Aycliffe plant.

Paul Hutchings, Managing Director of Arriva UK Trains’ Rail Services, highlighted the ambition behind the move: “We’re committed to connecting communities and enabling more people to travel in ways that are convenient and sustainable. This new route opens new travel opportunities and makes better use of the network – all while building on Grand Central’s proud history of serving underserved communities.”

The proposal comes amid a wider push by Arriva to expand its UK rail presence. The company recently secured an extension of Grand Central’s existing access rights to 2038 and joins a queue of other open access bids currently under review by the ORR, including proposed expansions of Grand Central’s services to Bradford, York, Grimsby, and Cleethorpes.

London Gatwick also has ambitions to expand with its recent plans for a second runway backed by the government. It’s station already serves Thameslink services to Bedford and Peterborough alongside services to London Victoria and Cambridge, however no direct service connects the North-East to the South-East currently.

London Gatwick’s Chief Commercial Officer, Jonathan Pollard, welcomed the proposal: “We’re excited about the opportunities this service could bring. It would provide a real boost for underserved areas and further strengthen Gatwick’s position as the UK’s best-connected airport by public transport.”

The Office of Rail and Road is expected to assess the application over the coming months, with stakeholders and passengers alike keeping a close eye on the potential transformation of long-distance rail travel in Britain.