Trains are likely to run all night on key routes in a bid to cope with heavy demand for rail travel as the Queen’s funeral approaches. 

Avanti West Coast has announced the restoration of some of the services on the London-Manchester route which were withdrawn in mid-August. Avanti said it had been forced to cut its timetables because crews were often not available, but there will now be 26 trains a day from Manchester Piccadilly to London Euston, up to eight more than before.

Avanti West Coast said: ‘We are expecting a great many mourners to visit London on our services. We want to ensure that everyone who wants to travel on our trains to pay their respects can do so, and have been working hard to see where we can put on additional services for the period of mourning.’

AWC added that it was also examining the options for additional services between London and Birmingham and the possibility of hiring rolling stock from charter companies to provide relief trains.

Meanwhile, the Rail Delivery Group said: ‘The rail industry is doing all it can to ensure people can travel to pay their respects during the period of mourning. Where possible we will be running some extra services and customers should check journey planners for the most up to date information. A very limited service will be operating through the night on some routes.’