Should Hull Trains become part of Lumo?

[jhy44]

Moderator note: Split from

Lumo applies to operate Rochdale - London

Article suggests Lumo have applied for permission to run 6 trains a day between Rochdale and London via Manchester Victoria, Eccles, Newton le Willows, Warrington Bank Quay Will be run with new battery electric units FirstGroup plans to expand its open access rail operations as part of its...

www.railforums.co.uk

Would it not make sense for FirstGroup to merge the Hull Trains brand into 'Lumo' now too? Would bring all their Open Access operations into one brand and further expand and boost that brand.

 

[Sorcerer]

Would it not make sense for FirstGroup to merge the Hull Trains brand into 'Lumo' now too? Would bring all their Open Access operations into one brand and further expand and boost that brand.

I think it might be a different style of operation with Lumo being like a low-cost airline competitor to LNER while Hull Trains is filling a gap left by LNER running trains from Hull and Beverly to London and back. That said it might actually be something worth it's own discussion because I don't quite know where to stand on that and would love to hear more views on it.

 

[pokemonsuper9]

Would it not make sense for FirstGroup to merge the Hull Trains brand into 'Lumo' now too? Would bring all their Open Access operations into one brand and further expand and boost that brand.

Lumo want to be pure electric, and heavily market that, so adding the partly Diesel 802s wouldn't fit with that

 

[800001]

And

I think it might be a different style of operation with Lumo being like a low-cost airline competitor to LNER while Hull Trains is filling a gap left by LNER running trains from Hull and Beverly to London and back. That said it might actually be something worth its own discussion because I don't quite know where to stand on that and would love to hear more views on it.

And also, don’t Hull Trains have a first class offering, to compete with LNER? Where as Lumo are all one class?

 

[Sorcerer]

And also, don’t Hull Trains have a first class offering, to compete with LNER? Where as Lumo are all one class?

I didn't even think about that but that is also true!

 

[The Middle]

It would make sense but don't underestimate how strong the Hull Trains brand is in that neck of the woods.

 

[HullRailMan]

What would be the benefit? Both businesses already share a large number of back office roles to keep costs down, including an MD. Lumo has zero brand recognition in the areas HT serve so that would be a backward step plus, as has already been identified, HT has a very different on board product and business model.

 

[HST43257]

It would make sense but don't underestimate how strong the Hull Trains brand is in that neck of the woods.

Follows in the successes of M40 Trains