Stevenage will benefit from new rail links to London and Edinburgh when a new budget rail service is introduced.

Train company FirstGroup plc has been given permission to run new services from London King’s Cross to Edinburgh from 2021 by The Office of Rail and Road regulator.

FistGroup says fares will be less than £25 and there will only be one class of carriage.

It will be in direct competition with Stagecoach, which operates Virgin Trains East Coast services on the same line, and holds the franchise to do so until 2026.

Stevenage MP Stephen McPartland has welcomed the new services.

He said: “I supported the proposal from FirstGroup for new services as I believe these are incredibly exciting plans and demonstrate how important Stevenage is to the economic recovery.”

FirstGroup says it will operate five trains a day each way, from London King’s Cross to Edinburgh, stopping at Stevenage, Newcastle and Morpeth, by 2021.