Go-op plans to operate return weekday and weekend services between Taunton and Weston-super-Mare, Taunton and Westbury, Taunton and Swindon, and Frome and Westbury.
It will compete with Great Western Railway (GWR), a public service operator. Go-op plans to start in December 2025 at the earliest, and must do so no later than December 2026 in order to use the capacity ORR has granted.
As part of ORR’s decision, Go-op must provide evidence to ORR of the necessary finance to start operations, fund level crossing enhancements, and that the necessary rolling stock has been secured. ORR’s decision requires Go-op to do this without delay, and no later than November 2025.
In making this decision, the regulator has weighed up the beneficial aspects of this application relating to competition and the introduction of new, better journey opportunities for passengers.
ORR has also taken into account the government’s support for the application, and decided that all these considerations be given greater weight than the anticipated very limited impact on government funds and train service performance.
Martin Jones, Deputy Director, Access, Licensing & International, said:
Notes to editors
- Go-op decision letter
- ORR is the independent safety and economic regulator for Britain’s railways. For track access, we make sure that passenger train companies and freight companies have fair access to the rail network and that best use is made of capacity.
- We determine track access applications in line with all our statutory duties as set out mainly in section 4 of the Railways Act 1993. These include, but are not limited to: promoting improvements in railway service performance, promoting the use of the network for passengers and goods and promoting competition for the benefit of rail users.