Lumo gears up for Stirling – London Route launch

FirstGroup and Lumo have got their wish, with the train operator having its route between London and Stirling (Scotland) granted and plans to launch the service unveiled.

Lumo Class 222 Train – Image, Lumo

The new service is planned to start in Spring 2026.  This expansion aims to enhance travel choice and connectivity for passengers along the central belt of Scotland, both to England and to Stirling, offering five daily services on the route.

To support this new route, Lumo will lease five six-car Class 222 Meridan trainsets, which will be maintained and refurbished by Alstom.  This is part of a £50 million deal to provide a refresh and maintenance of the trainsets over the next five years.

Unlike Lunos’ current service, which operates from London King’s Cross, this service will operate from London Euston station. 

Lumo’s new route will link London Euston directly to Stirling, also calling at Milton Keynes, Nuneaton, Crewe, Preston, Carlisle, Lockerbie, Motherwell, Whifflet (serving Coatbridge), Greenfaulds (serving Cumbernauld) and Larbert. Significantly, this new route gives Whifflet, Greenfaulds, and Larbert their first-ever direct rail services to London.

Stop between Euston and Motherwell are served by Avanti West Coast. Between Euston and Crewe, London Northwestern Railway connects these destinations, whilst between Preston and Motherwell, TransPennine Express operates services. Between Motherwell and Stirling, ScotRail offers various services.

This expansion builds upon Lumo’s Edinburgh route, operating via Edinburgh Waverley, Morpeth, Newcastle, Stevenage, and London King’s Cross, which has been instrumental in increasing rail travel’s mode share compared to air travel between Edinburgh and London.

Lumo is currently awaiting regulatory approval from the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) to extend services to Glasgow further, boosting connectivity for Scotland’s passengers, making domestic journeys and those across the border.

As for the trains

The contract with Alstom includes a fleet modernisation programme with Eversholt Rail, worth around £10 million (almost €12 million), which will be carried out at Alstom’s Widnes site. The refresh involves the installation of new, ergonomically designed seating, a full exterior repaint to align with Lumo’s branding and upgraded passenger Wi-Fi for improved onboard connectivity.

The Wi-Fi will be provided by Nomad Digital, an Alstom subsidiary dedicated to onboard connectivity and based in Newcastle upon Tyne.

The modernisation also includes new CCTV systems and Intelligent Engine Start-Stop (IESS) technology, which automatically shuts down and restarts the train’s engine when stationary, improving fuel efficiency and reducing emissions. 

The trains will be serviced at Alstom’s Central Rivers facility. From here, Alstom will maintain, overhaul, service and clean the five trains over the next five years.

In Quotes

Martijn Gilbert, Managing Director of Lumo, said:

 “Today’s announcement underscores Lumo’s commitment to growing Scotland’s rail network, providing passengers with more affordable, fast, and convenient travel options.

“Our new service between Stirling and London has the potential to unlock significant economic opportunities for communities along the route, and we’re proud to deliver this direct rail connectivity to towns previously overlooked by traditional rail services. We are focused on further expanding our services in Scotland to ensure even greater connectivity across the country and the whole UK.”

Peter Broadley, Commercial Director UK and Ireland at Alstom.

“This partnership marks a significant milestone in our commitment to delivering high-performance, customer-focused rail services across the UK. By combining Alstom’s deep technical expertise with the operational excellence of FirstGroup and Eversholt Rail, we’re ensuring that fare-paying passengers benefit from a modern, reliable and comfortable travel experience between Stirling and London.”

 A second wish granted.

Lumo’s desire to operate on the West Coast Main Line has been granted, with it gaining the trains to do so, as FirstGroup continues to seek commercial offerings beyond the age of renationalisation.

Given they are leasing Class 222 trains, these will come from East Midlands Railway (who solely operate the type at the moment), which in turn will replace these with Class 810 Aurora trains (which are due for delivery this year).

There will need to be some trains reformed, however, as the Class 222s are formed either in five or seven-car sets. As each carriage of a Class 222 can be “independently powered”, they can be reformed as needed (in the past, there were were formed as four or nine car sets), so it will be interesting how the trainsets are reallocated to support this.

For passengers, it will offer more choices and direct options.