Lumo: The new East Coast Mainline service between Edinburgh and London - that won't stop in Yorkshire

A new, 100 per cent electric rail service is to start running between London and Edinburgh with fares for as little as £14.90 in a bid to encourage greener and more affordable travel - but it won't stop in Yorkshire.
Lumo will offer fares for as little as £14.90 - but won't stop in YorkshireLumo will offer fares for as little as £14.90 - but won't stop in Yorkshire
Lumo will offer fares for as little as £14.90 - but won't stop in Yorkshire

Starting on October 25 the new service, called Lumo, will provide an affordable and low-carbon travel option for over one million passengers every year.

Currently over 74,000 passengers fly between Edinburgh and London every month so the service hopes to provide a convenient alternative by offering tickets starting from just £14.90.

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Roughly 60 per cent of all single tickets will be available for £30 or less.

Lumo trains will run on the East Coast Main Line and call at Newcastle, Morpeth and Stevenage, helping to improve regional connectivity while offering alternatives to Newcastle and Luton airports.

Rail travel generates six times fewer carbon emissions than flying but being 100 per cent electric, Lumo expects to reduce those emission rates even further.

Helen Wylde, Managing Director for Lumo, said: “Travelling in the UK should not cost a fortune and it certainly shouldn’t be the planet that pays. Whatever your preferred mode of transport, we are likely to be more affordable and kinder to the planet.

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“We believe everyone has the right to travel in style. We are empowering people to make green travel choices that are genuinely affordable without compromising on comfort.”

The service will offer a new at-seat catering service, free Wi-Fi, paperless ticketing, a new entertainment system and a single class of service for all passengers, with the aim to “reset standards for travel.”

Ms Wylde added: “The reasons people choose different modes of travel are changing. People are now considering their impact on the environment very carefully.

"They also expect better service and catering. Lumo is a new rail travel experience that is kinder to the planet and better value for passengers, while never compromising on service."

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Owned by FirstGroup, Lumo has invested £15 million on digital and IT infrastructure and £100 million on the manufacture and maintenance of five brand new Hitachi AT300 intercity electric trains.

By early next year Lumo expects to have increased its frequency to up to 10 services per day running to and from Edinburgh and London.