MORE train services to London are on track for Lockerbie.
Grand Union Trains has been given the go ahead to operate the new service between London and Stirling from June 2025.
There will be four return services to the capital every day, calling at Lockerbie, among other stops including Carlisle, Preston, Crewe and Milton Keynes.
Grand Union had previously been approved to run on the West Coast Mainline back in 2018 but did not launch a service due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic
The news has been welcomed by Dumfriesshire MP David Mundell, who hopes it will signal better times ahead for Annandale passengers.
He said: “The catalogue of late trains and service cancellations in recent years affecting Lockerbie has been a disgrace.
“With the impact of covid hopefully behind us and demand for train travel growing again, I believe improving rail services is an even higher national priority.
“Grand Union’s interest in stopping their new services at Lockerbie from summer next year is a vote of confidence in the regional strategic importance of the station.”
And there was a cautious welcome from South Scotland MSP Colin Smyth, who said: “It was appalling that the UK Government extended Avanti Rail’s franchise to run trains between London and Glasgow and Edinburgh given how poor their service is.
“More Avanti trains to London pass through Lockerbie station without stopping, than actually stop.
“Grand Union Trains have identified a gap the UK Government and Avanti failed to spot by proposing this service to London from Lockerbie.
“The fact the trains won’t go to Edinburgh and Glasgow will obviously limit their use north from Lockerbie but I hope the new service happens and proves successful as there is a desperate need to improve the woeful service from Lockerbie.”
