New rail services between London and central
Scotland
are anticipated to be launched around mid-2026 following an accord made for utilizing five train sets.
The transportation behemoth FirstGroup announced it has entered into an agreement with Eversholt Rail, the rolling stock provider, concerning its proposed new service line set to connect different areas.
London Euston
and the city of
Stirling
.
Services will also call at Milton Keynes Central, Nuneaton, Crewe, Preston, Carlisle, Lockerbie, Motherwell, Whifflet, Greenfaulds and Larbert.
There will be four return services a day (three on Sundays) on the full route, with an additional daily return service between Euston and Preston.
This will provide more competition for several operators such as LNER and Avanti West Coast.
FirstGroup holds track access rights from regulator the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) for the route on the West Coast Main Line until 2030.
Trains will be operated under FirstGroup’s Lumo brand, which currently runs only on the East Coast Main Line between London King’s Cross and Edinburgh.
The inaugural West Coast services were originally scheduled for this year; however, FirstGroup stated that they are now anticipated to begin in mid-2026 after the arrival of the trains and completion of staff training.
The firm stated that the pact with Eversholt Rail involves five Class 222 diesel trains, each capable of accommodating around 340 standard-class passengers.
It expects the services will achieve annual sales of about £50 million and a “low double-digit” operating profit margin.
The
Government
started the process of renationalising all remaining franchised train services last month when it brought South Western Railway into public ownership.
Lumo runs on a separate open access basis, meaning it sets its own fares, takes on all revenue risk and receives no taxpayer-funded subsidies.
In January, Transport Secretary
Heidi Alexander
wrote to ORR chairman Declan Collier expressing concerns that the open access model can cause “potential congestion” and result in taxpayers being “left to fill shortfalls” in maintenance costs.
She emphasized that “it is expected” the regulator gives top priority to “the effects on taxpayers and overall performance” when examining new proposals.
Graham Sutherland, CEO of FirstGroup, stated: “Launching our new route from London to Stirling marks a significant move toward establishing Lumo as a national carrier and expanding our open-access operations, which remains a top focus for us.”
“Our investment and capabilities in open access rail have delivered reliable, value-for-money services, grown rail demand and helped to spur economic growth and connect communities.
“We look forward to doing the same on our new services.”
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