Passenger train services • Main line services / Ticketing • Intercity • Private mainline operators • Great-Britain • Lumo
➤ Similar operators: Acela – Avanti West Coast – LNER – ÖBB Railjet – PKP Intercity – WESTbahn
Note: For educational purpose only. This page is meant purely as a documentation tool and has no legal effect. It is not a substitute for the official page of the operating company, manufacturer or official institutions. It cannot be used for staff training, which is the responsibility of approved institutions and companies.
Key points
- Open access operator, not under franchising system nor GBR ;
- Targeting air travellers with ultra‑low fares strategy ;
- Expansions across multiple British corridors ;
On this page
- Before Lumo ;
- 2021 – The start of activities;
- 2024 – Lumo under Labour policy;
- 2026 – New route to Stirling;
Summary
In 2015, the UK regulator ORR – the Office of Rail and Road – launched a call for expressions of interest for an open access operation to tender for additional services on the East Coast line, allowing a new company to operate train services in addition to the existing franchise operator. The idea was to boost an important line that had been rather badly damaged at the time, when it was Stagecoach in partnership with Virgin that held a franchise that would later prove to be calamitous. The withdrawal of Virgin Trains East Coast was succeeded in June 2018 by LNER – London North Eastern Railway – a company owned by DfT OLR Holdings, i.e. the British State. This episode led to strong criticism of the franchising system and added to the curses hanging over this legendary East Coast line.
| COMPANY TYPE | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name: | Lumo | |
| Subsdiary/Branding from: | First Group | |
| Country of registration: | Great-Britain | |
| Year founded (under this name): | 2020 | |
| Sector: | Passengers long distance | |
| Investor(s) / Owner: | Various | |
| Headquartered at: | Preston (Lancashire) | |
| Management of infrastructure: | no | |
| Management of stations: | no | |
| ACTIVITIES | ||
| Regional & local traffic: | no | |
| Long distance traffic: | yes | |
| Freight traffic: | no | |
| Traction: | owner | |
| Urban transport: | no | |
| Leasing: | no | |
| Infrastructure works: | no | |
| Rolling stock maintenance: | owned by Beacon Rail |
Routes
➤ London King Cross – Stevenage – Newcastle – Morpeth – Edinburgh
➤ London Euston – Milton Keynes – Crewe – Carlisle – Lockerbie – Stirling
Rolling stock (past and present)
Hitachi Rail
2021 – …
Alstom (2004)
2026 – …
Before Lumo
The East Coast Main Line (ECML) connects London King’s Cross with major cities such as York, Newcastle, and Edinburgh, as well as extending services further north to Aberdeen and Inverness. The route plays a vital role in linking England and Scotland, serving millions of passengers each year for both business and leisure travel. A third of the UK population lives within 20 minutes of an ECML station. The ECML also carries a significant amount of freight. In 2019, 58 million tonnes of freight was carried out.
Since privatisation in 1996, four operators managed ECML services during 21 years, alternating between private and public management:
1. GNER (Great North Eastern Railway, 1996–2007): The first private operator under the franchising system, GNER, ran ECML services starting in April 1996. It operated long-distance services between London King’s Cross and destinations such as Leeds, York, Newcastle, and Edinburgh. GNER was noted for high-speed services using InterCity 125 and 225 trains.
2. National Express East Coast (NXEC, 2007–2009): After GNER’s franchise was not renewed due to financial difficulties, National Express took over in December 2007. NXEC continued similar services but struggled with its financial commitments, leading to early termination.
3. Directly Operated Railways / East Coast (2009–2015): When NXEC exited, the government created a publicly owned operator of last resort, Directly Operated Railways, running services under the East Coast brand. This period focused on stabilizing operations and improving performance before re-franchising.
4. Virgin Trains East Coast (VTEC, 2015–2017): The franchise returned to private operators when Stagecoach (90%) and Virgin (10%) won the bid. VTEC ran services under the Virgin Trains East Coast brand.
Today
LNER: It is no longer a franchise but a service under contract with the government since May 2018. LNER is still in place today between London, Bradford, York, Newcastle and Scotland.
In addition, since 2000, there has been the presence of the private open access operator Hull Train, a subsidiary of First Group. This operator only operates on part of the ECML.
The start of activities
Since 2016, the British rail system had been feeling the pinch, with a future marked by Brexit, terrorist attacks (London, Manchester) and a shrinking economy. However, this did not stop FirstGroup from looking at projects beyond its five existing franchises. The operator already had solid experience in rail operations, and even experience of open access with its stake in Hull Train. So it wasn’t going into the East Coast venture blind…
In addition to its plans to take over from Virgin the lucrative services on England’s other iconic line, the West Coast, FirstGroup responded to the ORR’s call for expressions of interest, which in May 2016 awarded it a 10-year agreement to operate five trains a day in each direction between London and Edinburgh via the intermediate stations of Stevenage, Newcastle and Morpeth from 2021.
Initially, the subsidiary set up by First Group was called East Coast Trains. From the outset, the business model was centred on a low-cost, single-class service, like Flixtrain, SNCF’s Ouigo or Renfe’s Avlo. FirstGroup’s aim is to attract air passengers to rail, not to compete with Virgin or LNER. Two-thirds of journeys between Edinburgh and London are made by air. East Coast Trains plans to offer an average fare of less than £25 (€29) with new trains offering free Wi-Fi and on-board catering.
For its services, East Coast Trains planned to lease five Hitachi trains from the Azuma range, but arranged as single-class trains and with a shorter five-car length. From 2020, East Coast Trains’ mandate was to “reimagine rail”. East Coast Trains managing director Helen Wylde told Modern Railways that the company had hired Insight House to carry out customer research, which identified that the most important question to ask was why people travel. East Coast Trains’ ambition was to recommend a seat to prospective passengers based on their travel preferences, so that business travellers could enjoy a quiet environment in which to work, while groups of leisure travellers could be seated together in a different part of the train.
It pointed out that only 8% of people in the UK use trains regularly, and said the aim is to provide a greener, affordable and easy-to-use travel option. The company was making a £15 million (€17.6 million) investment in digitisation to become a paperless business. “Travelling in the UK shouldn’t cost a fortune and it certainly shouldn’t be the planet that pays. Whatever your preferred mode of transport, we’ll probably be more affordable and kinder to the planet. We believe that everyone has the right to travel in style. We give people the means to make truly affordable green travel choices without compromising on comfort.“
2021 – Launch of Lumo service
On 7 September 2021, an official presentation gave the name of the future service: Lumo, a brand name based on the concept of luminosity in motion. Lumo also presented its Hitachi trainset, a Hitachi Rail Class 803 ordered in March 2019 and financed by Beacon Rail Leasing Ltd under a £100 million, 10-year contract (€117 million). The actual departure was scheduled for the end of October.
On 21 October 2021, the first Lumo preview train left London King-Cross for Edinburgh with passengers on board. Commercial service began on 25 October. Initially, two trains a day in each direction will run (one on Saturdays), with the ambition to increase this to four before Christmas and launch the full timetable in mid-February 2022. The staggered start to services is mainly due to the need for full driver training.
Lumo’s on-board staff are presented as “ambassadors”, not conductors or attendants. They have completed a 12-week training programme. Lumo has 90 on-board staff, all based in Newcastle, where the company is headquartered, and has set up an academy for in-house training. Lumo employs 30 train drivers, 5 of whom are instructors and half of whom are apprentices. The other 60 are on-board ambassadors, 45% of whom are women and 90% of whom are rail novices. Many come from sectors such as aviation and the hotel industry. Two ambassadors will be needed on each train service, as this role is essential for safety, although the doors are controlled by the driver. The ambassadors will be responsible for all aspects of on-board service, including revenue protection, catering and cleaning.
2024
In July, the election results brought Labour to power, with Keir Starmer as Prime Minister of a government that was rather hostile to private operators. The rail sector saw two transport secretaries come and go in six months and was doing everything it could to nationalise the remaining operators when their contracts expired. The Great British Rail project was also being fast-tracked.
2019-2026: one secretary of state per year!
It is a mistake to think that political events have no influence on rail industry developments. It is interesting to look back at the list of decision-makers during the turbulent period that followed the pandemic in spring 2020. In the United Kingdom, the rail sector had to deal with six different governments and six different transport secretaries between 2019 and 2025, which did not help stability, as emergency measures were coming to an end and the Great British Railway was slowly being implemented. There were two Johnson governments, and Liz Truss’s government lasted only one month and no one remembers Anne-Marie Trevelyan.
In July 2024, Labour returned to power after a 14-year absence. Their return was marked by the acceleration of the implementation of Great British Railways and by relative hostility towards private operators. LNER, already under public management, did not have too much to fear for its future.
| LISTING UK SECRETARIES OF STATE FOR TRANSPORT FROM 2018 TO 2027 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Secretary of State | Term Duration | Government Name | Political Party |
| Chris Grayling | Jan 2016 – Jul 2019 | May Government | Conservative |
| Grant Shapps | Jul 2019 – Dec 2019 | Johnson Government I | Conservative |
| Grant Shapps | Dec 2019 | Johnson Government II | Conservative |
| 20 May 2021: the Williams‑Shapps Plan for Rail report | |||
| Grant Shapps | sept-22 | Johnson Government II | Conservative |
| Anne-Marie Trevelyan | Sep 2022 – Oct 2022 | Truss Government | Conservative |
| Mark Harper | Oct 2022 – Jul 2024 | Sunak Government | Conservative |
| Louise Haigh | Jul 2024 – Nov 2024 | Starmer Government | Labour |
| Heidi Alexander | Nov 2024 – July 2026 | Starmer Government | Labour |
| Heidi Alexander | July 2026 – until now | Burnham Government | Labour |
| Composition: Mediarail.be | |||
2024: Services expansion?
In January 2024, FirstGroup has submitted a preliminary application to the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) to introduce an open-access service between London Euston and Rochdale, potentially starting in 2027. The proposed service would run six return trips daily, stopping at Warrington Bank Quay, Newton-le-Willows, Eccles, and Manchester Victoria on the West Coast Main Line.
This service would reconnect Rochdale directly to London for the first time since 2000, facilitate access to Salford via Eccles with the Manchester Metrolink light rail, and improve connectivity for St Helens through Newton-le-Willows. FirstGroup aims to provide 1.6 million people in northwest England with a convenient and competitively-priced rail service to London, encouraging a shift from coaches and private cars to rail. FirstGroup CEO Graham Sutherland highlights the significant growth, economic, and environmental benefits observed with open access services.
‘There is a futur for open access in the new railway landscape in Britain’
This was the analysis of Phil Gilbert, Managing Director of FirstGroup’s open access subsidiaries, in an interview with Rail Business UK, who robustly defends the open access model in UK rail, exemplified by Hull Trains and Lumo. He highlights the increased service frequency and consumer benefits these operators bring. Gilbert addresses criticisms about capacity and costs, asserting that open access operators like Lumo and Hull Trains pay their fair share of infrastructure and station access charges. He acknowledges the new Infrastructure Cost Charge but insists open access operators do not disproportionately increase infrastructure costs.
Gilbert emphasizes the need for a reliable East Coast Main Line timetable and sees potential for additional Lumo services. Despite delays in timetable revisions due to industry concerns, he remains optimistic about future service expansions, including a new London-Sheffield route.
He also focuses on improving customer service, citing initiatives like dedicated support teams during disruptions. Gilbert appreciates FirstGroup’s substantial financial backing and independence for Hull Trains and Lumo, noting their efficient cost control and staff training programs.
Gilbert concludes that open access rail services foster regional growth without burdening taxpayers and should be seen as a successful example of private sector contribution to public railways.
2025
According Modern Railways, in July, certain bids by open access operators for paths on the East Coast main line have been approved by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), with the first the first additional trains expected to start in December.
Grand Central, Hull Trains and Lumo have all had applications approved for some services while HT’s application to operate a new service between London King’s Cross and Sheffield via Worksop has been rejected.
In November, FirstGroup has unveiled ambitious plans to expand its open access rail operations through its successful Lumo brand, aiming to boost connectivity, productivity, and passenger choice across the UK. The proposed services include a revised Rochdale–London Euston route via Manchester, an extended Stirling–London line, and a new Cardiff–York corridor linking four mainlines. These routes will use new Hitachi battery-electric trains and refurbished Class 222 units.
The Rochdale–London service restores a direct link last seen in 2000, while the Cardiff–York line boosts regional access and economic growth. FirstGroup’s expansion supports UK rail manufacturing and infrastructure investment without government subsidy. The Office of Rail and Road will assess the applications through public consultation and capacity analysis.
2026: new route Euston-Stirling
Since 25 May Lumo spread beyond its eastern region to and started running passenger trains on the West Coast main line between London Euston and Stirling, north of Glasgow, in Scotland. Lumo use 5×6-car ‘222s’ cascaded from East Midlands Railway and leased from Beacon Rail. Driver training on the West Coast main line was necessary for this new introduction of passenger services.
Class 222 were refurbished by Alstom at its Widnes facility. The work included refreshing existing seats while first class facilities are being removed and replaced with standard class seating as Lumo operates a single class of accommodation.
The new service involves four daily return services will operate between London and Stirling, with an additional fifth return service between Preston and London. The operator is already looking to expand this, with Blackpool North a possible destination. This new open-access link is one of the few to have been granted under a Labour government that has taken a rather negative stance on the issue, at a time when the formation of the new GBR is on the horizon.
As reported Modern Railway, Lumo’s launch was troubled: over the following three days after the launch, none of the Lumo trains arrived on time, with some significant delays reported, whilst on 29 May the failure of Lumo’s sole operational Class 222/6 resulted in the cancellation of the day’s operation whilst the set was moved to Alstom’s Central Rivers facility for attention. the return service was cancelled again on 1 June due to maintenance issues, with Alstom working to minimise disruption. Wider WCML performance was also poor, affecting Avanti and LNR services. Managing Director Stuart Jones outlined a gradual scale-up from one to five daily return services by end of July. An application to extend Preston–Blackpool services from May 2027 is also planned.
Electric trains impossible for Lumo’s WCML operations…yet
Using electric sets for Lumo operations on the West Coast main line is not possible due to power supply issues on certain sections of the route, First Rail Commercial Projects Director Phil Cameron told Modern Railways on 21 May.
Lumo’s Class 222s are leased until 2030, in line with the current track access contract. Any future fleet replacement would depend on a contract extension, with a battery-electric AT300-style train under consideration, capable of switching to battery power where overhead supply is constrained. Full electric operation on the WCML is not yet possible due to power supply limitations.
The ‘222s’, owned by Beacon Rail, are maintained by Alstom at Wembley, Polmadie and Central Rivers, where additional staff have been recruited to handle the extra workload. Meanwhile, refurbishment experience gained on the five Lumo sets at Widnes is providing valuable insight for the forthcoming overhaul of the remaining Class 222s destined for ScotRail.
Lumo looks to the stars with Wi-Fi upgrade
Lumo was also introducing high-speed satellite broadband on its Class 803 EMUs serving London King’s Cross, Edinburgh and Glasgow this autumn. Following trials in Scotland and on Great Western Railway, the system uses Starlink’s low earth orbit satellite constellation. Hitachi, which built the EMUs, Beacon Rail, which leases them to Lumo, and connectivity provider Icomera are fitting the equipment. Lumo’s Head of Customer Engagement Paul Jackson emphasised the importance of delivering a reliable, high-quality Wi-Fi experience for both business and leisure travellers.
The full service to Stirling was introduced from 27 July thanks to enough ‘222s’ are available. The trains will serve Milton Keynes, Nuneaton, Crewe, Carlisle, Lockerbie, Motherwell, Whifflet, Greenfaulds and Larbert, and do not desserve Glasgow.
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