Lumo is working hard in the background as it prepares its Stirling to London route launch, planned for Spring 2026. To this end, the train company has unveiled its first Class 222 Trainset in its house colours.
The refurbishment work is being undertaken by Alstom’s modernisation facility in Widnes, in association with Beacon Rail. The trains feature a striking new livery in Lumo’s signature blue.
The operator has also recently revealed details of the refurbished interiors, which feature refreshed existing seats with some coaches of the fleet being fitted with new sleek grey and silver seating.
Lumo Class 222 Interor – Images Lumo.
The trains will be six cars in length, featuring a single-class seating configuration throughout.
The images were revealed to around 50 VIP guests at the official opening of Lumo’s new rail base in Preston, which is creating around 100 jobs as Lumo prepares to launch direct Scotland-London trains.
In Quotes
Stuart Jones, Managing Director of First Rail Open Access, said:
“This is a significant moment for both Lumo colleagues and the people of Preston as we countdown to officially launching our new West Coast service.
“We’re excited to be investing in our new base in Preston which is creating jobs and supporting the local economy. We’re looking forward to becoming a part of the community here, already forging some brilliant partnerships, with the Preston Caribbean Carnival team helping us to open our HQ here in real style.
“We can’t wait to begin this new service in the coming months, offering simple, low-cost tickets and direct services between Scotland, the North West of England and London.”
Steve Harvey, Services Director UK and Ireland at Alstom, said:
“We’re delighted to give passengers a sneak peek of our refurbished Class 222 trains. This project is a fantastic example of industry collaboration, and our teams have worked proudly alongside Lumo and Beacon Rail to deliver a refreshed, high quality fleet that enhances comfort and reliability for travellers.
“As Lumo prepares to launch its new West Coast service, we’re thrilled that Alstom’s expertise is helping bring these trains back into service in a vibrant new livery, supporting both regional jobs and the wider rail network.”
Adam Cunliffe, Beacon Chief Executive Officer, said:
“Congratulations to Lumo on the opening of their new offices in Preston. Beacon is delighted to be working in partnership with Lumo and Alstom to upgrade the C222s and we look forward to seeing the newly refurbished trains commence passenger services.”
Pricing revealed… dates still close to the company’s chest
The soon-to-arrive open-access service is set to bring big savings to customers on the popular route between Scotland and London, with tickets now on sale starting from just £29.90 between London Euston and Stirling for travel from 10th July onwards.
The new London–Stirling service will operate four daily return services, with an additional fifth return service between Preston and London. Planned calling points include Milton Keynes, Nuneaton, Crewe, Preston, Carlisle, Lockerbie, Motherwell, Whifflet, Greenfaulds and Larbert.
Other launch prices noted are:
- London – Stirling for £29.90
- London – Preston for £23.90
- Preston – Stirling for £14.90
Tickets are priced one-way.
Services departing after 10 July are now on sale; however, the train operator is hoping to add earlier services in the coming weeks, as it’s anticipated that services will launch ahead of July.
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