Lumo Stirling timetable

[timj]

I am correct in thinking this service will call at Whifflet instead of Coatbridge, and Greenfaulds instead of Cumbernauld?

 

[Sirius]

Yes.

Whifflet (as opposed to Coatbridge Central) has step free access to both platforms.

Coatbridge Central has an er, interesting, underpass to access one of the platforms.

 

[321362]

I am correct in thinking this service will call at Whifflet instead of Coatbridge, and Greenfaulds instead of Cumbernauld?

I was looking at that, especially Greenfaulds rather than Cumbernauld, and wondering about it.

This isn't my area of expertise at all, which I'm sure clearly shows.

Is there technical reasons behind this? Lumo East Coast also have quite a weird stopping pattern (Stevenage, but no York), as do Hull Trains (Grantham and Retford)

From the vague corners of my memory I seem to recall there was a proposed open access operator going up the WCML, I think to Rochdale? No idea what happened with that. Pretty sure the first stop after Euston was to be Newton-le-Willows or something equally absurd.

Correct me if I'm wrong btw.

 

[Avenger20]

I was looking at that, especially Greenfaulds rather than Cumbernauld, and wondering about it.

This isn't my area of expertise at all, which I'm sure clearly shows.

Is there technical reasons behind this? Lumo East Coast also have quite a weird stopping pattern (Stevenage, but no York), as do Hull Trains (Grantham and Retford)

From the vague corners of my memory I seem to recall there was a proposed open access operator going up the WCML, I think to Rochdale? No idea what happened with that. Pretty sure the first stop after Euston was to be Newton-le-Willows or something equally absurd.

Correct me if I'm wrong btw.

Greenfaulds has a sizeable car park on site whereas Cumbernauld doesn't.

 

[norbitonflyer]

Is there technical reasons behind this? Lumo East Coast also have quite a weird stopping pattern (Stevenage, but no York), as do Hull Trains (Grantham and Retford)

It's to do with revenue abstraction from LNER. That's why Lumo aren't allowed to call at York.

As for Hull trains, they provide half of the service to Retford now. As has been discussed elsewhere, from 15 December, Retford will have no direct service at all to Newark, and Hull trains will provide the only service to Grantham)

 

[p.d87]

I was looking at that, especially Greenfaulds rather than Cumbernauld, and wondering about it.

This isn't my area of expertise at all, which I'm sure clearly shows.

Is there technical reasons behind this? Lumo East Coast also have quite a weird stopping pattern (Stevenage, but no York), as do Hull Trains (Grantham and Retford)

From the vague corners of my memory I seem to recall there was a proposed open access operator going up the WCML, I think to Rochdale? No idea what happened with that. Pretty sure the first stop after Euston was to be Newton-le-Willows or something equally absurd.

Correct me if I'm wrong btw.

Greenfield and Whifflet both have better facilities to stop at. Large car parks and accessible access. They also allow for a larger catchment area for potential customers compared to Cumbernauld and Coatbridge Central stations.

The Rochdale service was a lumo proposal but was recently rejected.

 

[Some guy]

It's to do with revenue abstraction from LNER. That's why Lumo aren't allowed to call at York.

As for Hull trains, they provide half of the service to Retford now. As has been discussed elsewhere, from 15 December, Retford will have no direct service at all to Newark, and Hull trains will provide the only service to Grantham)

It’s crazy that, as on the WCML they are allowed to stop at MKC, Crewe, Preston, and Carlisle and even Motherwell which are all served by Avanti and will abstract revenue but are all allowed to be served. It’s not set down only between Milton Keynes and London which is surprising

 

[BlueLeanie]

It’s crazy that, as on the WCML they are allowed to stop at MKC, Crewe, Preston, and Carlisle and even Motherwell which are all served by Avanti and will abstract revenue but are all allowed to be served. It’s not set down only between Milton Keynes and London which is surprising

All major interchange stations?

Greenfaulds has a sizeable car park on site whereas Cumbernauld doesn't.

Sizeable *free* car park operated by North Lanarkshire Council. Park on a Friday night, visit London, back on Sunday, pay nothing.

 

[Hedge Fund]

Lumo cannot come soon enough to the WCML.

I get financially robbed by Avanti week-in week-out from Carlisle to Euston, and it would be nice to have an alternative TOC to spend my money with.

 

[GhostManDN91]

I might consider using them if I go to London again given the prices of Avanti from Wigan. Either that or use LNWR from Crewe.

 

[gazthomas]

Lumo cannot come soon enough to the WCML.

I get financially robbed by Avanti week-in week-out from Carlisle to Euston, and it would be nice to have an alternative TOC to spend my money with.

70% of Avanti is owned by FirstGroup, while it will be 100% with Lumo

 

[cle]

It’s crazy that, as on the WCML they are allowed to stop at MKC, Crewe, Preston, and Carlisle and even Motherwell which are all served by Avanti and will abstract revenue but are all allowed to be served. It’s not set down only between Milton Keynes and London which is surprising

MKC notably doesn't have a decent fast service to Preston or Carlisle - not being a call on the Glasgow. This (and connections via these) might be a secondary revenue stream.

Motherwell isn't a standard call either, less than half I recall. Direct Motherwell-Stirling is also a new pair.

MKC and Crewe of course already have LNR competition, so it's more 'open' already.

 

[SeanM1997]

The service is now under code [LF] and looks to commence on Saturday 28 March 2026 according to Real Time Trains

 

[The Planner]

The service is now under code [LF] and looks to commence on Saturday 28 March 2026 according to Real Time Trains

It isn't the whole service to start with.

 

[MatthewHutton]

Motherwell isn't a standard call either, less than half I recall. Direct Motherwell-Stirling is also a new pair.

Motherwell gets every other service stopping these days when I looked as research. Not awful by any means.

Motherwell-Stirling is hardly a big pair. It has 1000 one way trips a year at the moment.

MKC notably doesn't have a decent fast service to Preston or Carlisle - not being a call on the Glasgow. This (and connections via these) might be a secondary revenue stream.

Agree this is a big weakness of the current service.

 

[GilfachFargoed]

In my fantasy world (and without running the numbers!) I would have 2TPH Avanti to the NW from Euston via the Trent Valley, a 'semi-fast' that would serve MKC (and possibly Hartford), and the existing 'fast' to GLC. Depending on how far north the 'semi-fast' went this could allow for stops to be shed from the 'fast' to allow for more growth in London - Strathclyde volume (with NW / Cumbria customers nudged towards the 'semi-fast'.

This did happen on the 16:xx hour pre-COVID where the 'fast' was something like EUS-PRE-CAR-GLC, but apparently that particular service didn't do particularly well in revenue terms. Perhaps post-COVID with the strong growth in leisure travel such a pattern might be more successful, particularly in the middle of the day. I might need Newton Aycliffe to knock out a few more 807s to give me enough sets though!

 

[Hedge Fund]

The service is now under code [LF] and looks to commence on Saturday 28 March 2026 according to Real Time Trains

Thanks for the update!

 

[MatthewHutton]

and the existing 'fast' to GLC

If you are going to run a fast then you should be looking at reducing the number of stops significantly to try and get a 4 hour or so trip time. Ideally perhaps only Preston, but I suspect you wouldn’t get the passenger numbers to justify it - perhaps a service every two hours that only calls at Preston.

I think if you were going to take the Lumo slots in the South to do that and give you a closer to 4 hour trip time to Glasgow that would be a compelling use of the capacity.

Then the current fast service could always call at Oxenholme, Penrith and Motherwell as well as Milton Keynes before Warrington bank quay.

 

[lrbvoyager]

If you are going to run a fast then you should be looking at reducing the number of stops significantly to try and get a 4 hour or so trip time. Ideally perhaps only Preston, but I suspect you wouldn’t get the passenger numbers to justify it - perhaps a service every two hours that only calls at Preston.

I think if you were going to take the Lumo slots in the South to do that and give you a closer to 4 hour trip time to Glasgow that would be a compelling use of the capacity.

Then the current fast service could always call at Oxenholme, Penrith and Motherwell as well as Milton Keynes before Warrington bank quay.

I think the fast should call at Preston and Carlisle because both have significant onward connections.

 

[CHobbs]

MKC notably doesn't have a decent fast service to Preston or Carlisle - not being a call on the Glasgow. This (and connections via these) might be a secondary revenue stream.

Motherwell isn't a standard call either, less than half I recall. Direct Motherwell-Stirling is also a new pair.

MKC and Crewe of course already have LNR competition, so it's more 'open' already.

Lack of MKC stops on Glasgow services is a concern. There is huge demand too. I regularly travel between Motherwell and MK by rail. I’d welcome a better service. Could they maybe pull Wigan or every other Oxenholme or Lancaster?

 

[MontyP]

In my fantasy world (and without running the numbers!) I would have 2TPH Avanti to the NW from Euston via the Trent Valley, a 'semi-fast' that would serve MKC (and possibly Hartford), and the existing 'fast' to GLC. Depending on how far north the 'semi-fast' went this could allow for stops to be shed from the 'fast' to allow for more growth in London - Strathclyde volume (with NW / Cumbria customers nudged towards the 'semi-fast'.

This did happen on the 16:xx hour pre-COVID where the 'fast' was something like EUS-PRE-CAR-GLC, but apparently that particular service didn't do particularly well in revenue terms. Perhaps post-COVID with the strong growth in leisure travel such a pattern might be more successful, particularly in the middle of the day. I might need Newton Aycliffe to knock out a few more 807s to give me enough sets though!

There was a whole thread on this in Speculative Discussion very recently:

Euston to Glasgow needs to go half-hourly

Every. Single. Time. People are standing, luggage blocking corridors no access to the buffet. It’s a massive stress every time I use it. It certainly needs a second train an hour. Maybe with a stop at Nuneaton for connections east. Long-distance Intercity travel should not be like this.

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[Chiltern006]

The service is now under code [LF] and looks to commence on Saturday 28 March 2026 according to Real Time Trains

Looked at Stirling and they all seem to be Unadvertised passenger express??

 

[SeanM1997]

Looked at Stirling and they all seem to be Unadvertised passenger express??

Must have been altered as was shown as scheduled when I posted

 

[Efini92]

Looked at Stirling and they all seem to be Unadvertised passenger express??

Will they not be training paths?

 

[dan4291]

They'll all be in the working timetable (hence why they appear in RTT) and some will be used for training trains until Lumo announce the launch date, which they obviously haven't yet.

 

[Northerngirl]

Is there any 222 runs they will be doing through Preston next week, Id completely not realised they were testing already and it would be nice to see one while im up there

 

[Snow1964]

The National Scot is reporting that Lumo will start service from Stirling during first half 2026

A MAJOR new daily train service connecting Stirling and London will be running during the first half of 2026.

Lumo, who are part of FirstGroup will run four services a day, with three on Sunday, doubling the current number.

The service will be up and running by spring, according to Lumo.

New daily London-Stirling train service to launch in spring this year

A MAJOR new daily train service connecting Stirling and London will be running during the first half of 2026 ...

www.thenational.scot

 

[weeklycommuter]

The service is now under code [LF] and looks to commence on Saturday 28 March 2026 according to Real Time Trains

Real Time Trains now shows the Lumo West Coast service starting on Sunday 17 May 2026.

 

[The Planner]

Real Time Trains now shows the Lumo West Coast service starting on Sunday 17 May 2026.

I wouldn't be surprised if there wasn't a limited launch prior to May.

 

[tumbledown]

Did you intend that double negative?