London Northwestern Railway, operated by West Midlands Trains, is behind the proposals, which could fill some of the void left by the HS2 Northern leg cancellation.
Their plans would see current services between London Euston and Crewe extended through to Manchester Victoria, and services between Stafford and Crewe extended to Manchester Airport.
The operator says this would create additional capacity with the introduction of direct links from Rugeley, Lichfield, Tamworth, and Atherstone in the West Midlands to Manchester and Warrington.
It is hoped the service could be up and running from summer 2026 linking Manchester city centre to London with the operator’s Class 730 electric trains earmarked to handle the journeys.
Each 10-car train would have the capacity to carry more than 1,200 passengers.
If given the green light, London Northwestern Railway says it would work with local operators and Network Rail, potentially tying in with planned upgrades to Manchester Victoria station, the TransPennine route upgrade, and other improvements in the North West.
Ian McConnell, managing director of West Midlands Trains, operator of London Northwestern Railway, said: “This proposal puts passengers at the heart of the railway and is the common sense solution to increase connectivity between the North West and the West Midlands following the cancellation of the northern leg of HS2.
“With platform space at Euston at a premium, the best way to provide new journey opportunities to Manchester is simply to extend existing services, rather than trying to squeeze more trains onto the congested West Coast Main Line.
“Additionally, unlike the Open Access model, the millions of pounds of extra revenue our proposals would generate will be returned to the taxpayer, providing a win-win for rail passengers.
“Just as we have shown with our existing long-distance services to Birmingham and Liverpool, our green and environmentally-friendly new electric trains will provide an affordable alternative to the car and coach, with fares up to 50% cheaper than the main intercity operator.”
Dominic Booth, chief executive officer of WMT’s parent company, Transport UK Group, said: “Our new service proposals represent a significant step forward in enhancing the rail network between Manchester and London.
“By leveraging the new Class 730 electric trains, we will provide greater capacity and comfort for customers travelling to Manchester while also supporting the local economy by creating new job opportunities in the North West. This proposal aligns with our commitment to delivering efficient, sustainable, and customer-focused rail services across the UK.”
The next step will see the London Northwestern Railway formally submit plans to the Office for Rail and Road later this year.
If approved, the services could start from May 2026 once additional train crew have been recruited and trained.
Earlier this year FirstGroup also unveiled plans for a service between London Euston and Manchester Victoria.