Almost a million more rail passengers could pass through Gloucester every year, if new plans get the go-ahead.

Industry consultation has begun for a proposed new rail service from Cardiff to Edinburgh.

The proposal is for five services a day to support rail connectivity between Wales and Scotland, as reported by Railway Gazette.

The proposed route would call at Cardiff, Newport, Severn Tunnel Junction, Gloucester, Birmingham New Street, Derby, Sheffield, Doncaster, York, Newcastle and Edinburgh.

The proposal has been raised formally with Network Rail and the Office of Rail & Road, a draft timetable has been prepared and details have been shared with the Department for Transport (DfT).

If approved, the plans will provide nearly a million extra seats a year across the route and help address some of the capacity issues faced by passengers travelling cross country, as well as improving connectivity between South Wales, Yorkshire, the North East and Scotland.

The target start date for the route is December 2025.

Image credit: Google Maps 2020