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Lumo running train with no toilets

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Haywain

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Lumo are/were running a train from London Euston to Stirling with no working toilets this morning. The 06:11 from Euston to Stirling had a 25 minute 'personal needs break' at Preston when it eventually arrived there 25 minutes late and just shy of 3 hours after leaving Euston. The train was eventually terminated short at Motherwell.

Lumo posted this (linked) statement on X:
Apologies to those boarding our 06:11 service from #LondonEuston to #Stirling are advised that there are no toilet facilities on this train due to a fault. Please do speak to our onboard staff for further advice/assistance.
 
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Coleridge

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It should be illegal to operate a long-distance train without working toilets.

Presumably, the staff would need a toilet break too, or do they have their own toilet that is unavailable to passengers?

How does the operator ensure that everyone is back on board after a toilet stop?
 

Mcr Warrior

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At least the Northbound Lumo service was stood alongside p 3 at Preston, which is located immediately next to the toilet facilities.
 

Tetchytyke

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Guessing something went wrong with the CET tanking at Ferme Park last night.

Pretty disgraceful from First but to be expected from OA operators who don't have any fleet flexibility.

A case of damned either way, though; if they'd cancelled the train due to no toilets and ran it ECS everyone would be complaining about that too.
 
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ainsworth74

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It should be illegal to operate a long-distance train without working toilets.
I would rather my train ran, even if it was delayed by stops on the way to allow use of station facilities, than was cancelled outright. Which is likely the choice that was faced here.
 

kkong

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Lumo are/were running a train from London Euston to Stirling with no working toilets this morning. The 06:11 from Euston to Stirling had a 25 minute 'personal needs break' at Preston when it eventually arrived there 25 minutes late and just shy of 3 hours after leaving Euston. The train was eventually terminated short at Motherwell.

No toilets on two services last Tuesday either, according to this post:

Unfortunately, due to a fault on this train there are no toilet facilities available on the 1527 #Preston to #LondonEuston and the 1919 London Euston to Preston service.

We apologise for this, and the train will make additional stops as required. Please do speak to our team on board the train who will do their best to assist you.

The 1527 will have additional time at Preston and Nuneaton to allow customers time to use station facilities.
 

Bletchleyite

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Better to run it but would arrange acceptance on other services for anyone for whom that wasn't acceptable.

But if this is happening often there is a serious issue and they should be changing processes accordingly.
 

Haywain

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No toilets on two services last Tuesday either, according to this post:
I also saw that there was a train last Saturday where this happened too. On X someone accused them of taking the pee, but they certainly failed to do that!
 

Mcr Warrior

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How many toilets, should the six car Class 222 units that Lumo use, have, if they're all working?
 

Transilien

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It should be illegal to operate a long-distance train without working toilets.

Presumably, the staff would need a toilet break too, or do they have their own toilet that is unavailable to passengers?

How does the operator ensure that everyone is back on board after a toilet stop?
If this forum ran the railway, it would be mandatory for every train. :lol:
 

800001

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Not just Lumo, I've known LNER run Edinburgh to London with no toilets on full 9 car set.
 
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Coleridge

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I would rather my train ran, even if it was delayed by stops on the way to allow use of station facilities, than was cancelled outright. Which is likely the choice that was faced here.

I would prefer that my train were cancelled.

It's a damning indictment of the management of the UK's railways that such a choice would even have to be made.
 

Russel

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Not just Lumo, I've known LNER run Edinburgh to London with no toilets on full 9 car set.

As do LNWR, toilet availability on the 730s can be very patchy at times, yeah Lumo run longer services but if the options are train runs with no toilets or train is cancelled, I know which I'd prefer.

Presumably they arranged a toilet stop along the route somewhere.
 

styles

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I think I'd claim for a full refund and then jump on an LNER service instead. Running long-distance trains without toilets is not acceptable.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==

It has made the BBC News front page:


BBC News said:
A train operator is running services lasting more than five-and-a-half hours despite having no toilets available on board.

The Lumo trains run on the West Coast Main Line, covering the new 417-mile (671km) route between Stirling and London Euston.

Lumo, which is owned by FirstGroup, first warned about a "fault" with the toilets on a service from Stirling to Crewe on Saturday.

Some services have since been stopping for longer at stations such as Preston to allow passengers to get off and use toilets on platforms.

A Lumo spokesperson said: "We have been experiencing some issues with the reliability of some of our toilet facilities onboard our West Coast services."

They added that they were working closely with rail company Alstom, which refurbished the carriages used by Lumo, to "rectify the issue".

The 06:11 departure from London Euston on Friday, which was affected, ran with a 58-minute delay and terminated at Motherwell, North Lanarkshire.

Passengers were told their tickets would be accepted on ScotRail services.

Liberal Democrat transport spokesperson Olly Glover posted on social media: "Is Lumo attempting to become the Ryanair of the rails?"

Train operators in Britain are not legally required to provide onboard toilets.

Lumo operates its West Coast services with refurbished Class 222 Meridian trains.

These are also used by East Midlands Railway, which has also suffered toilet faults with its fleet.

Lumo also runs services on the East Coast Main Line, connecting London King's Cross with Edinburgh, Glasgow and Falkirk.

It operates on an open access basis, meaning it sets its own fares, takes on all revenue risk and receives no taxpayer-funded subsidies.

It is not affected by the government's renationalisation of all remaining franchised train services in Britain.
 

DesDobramento

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The southbound working with 222604 resumed (about an hour late) at Motherwell, the unit presumably having a hurl to/from Polmadie for the wizards there to work their magic.

Until today, I had’nt appreciated that the London servicing depot for Lumo West Coast was at Ferme Park - how long has this been going on?

The ECS route is interesting to/from Euston including use of the reversing point at Railnet. The route to/from Euston would not be a lot more complicated if Cricklewood was the London base - they have more experience of the quirks of 222s than Ferme Park is likely to have.
 

AndrewE

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I think I'd claim for a full refund and then jump on an LNER service instead. Running long-distance trains without toilets is not acceptable.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==

It has made the BBC News front page:

and is on R4 this minute...
 
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Stirling Council was to the forefront of launching this service.

I am emailing the leader of the Council in the hope and expectation that she will take Lumo to task at the highest level and in no uncertain terms. It is an absolute disgrace.
 

6Gman

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Better to run it but would arrange acceptance on other services for anyone for whom that wasn't acceptable.

But if this is happening often there is a serious issue and they should be changing processes accordingly.
This would be my suggestion too.

Announce the problem before departure and offer two options:

Travel on Lumo with toilet stops (and a partial refund).

OR

Travel on the next Avanti service to Scotland (Lumo paying).

It might concentrate minds at Lumo.
 

whoosh

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Loo-No.

Has anyone called them that yet?
Feel free...!
 

mikeg

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This is simply not good enough. Those passengers were expecting toilets and some of us have conditions which mean that we can’t go more than a couple of hours without going. Where do passengers such as myself stand as to ticketing? Surely reasonable adjustments need to be made?
 

mikeg

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Given that my bladder was removed and I have a urostomy bag that’s clearly a ridiculous suggestion
 

High Dyke

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For those that missed it in the clamour to post criticism, extra toilet stops were planned and allowed. It was mentioned in the news article.
 
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