The Anonymous Widower

FIRST TO THE FUTURE: Lumo Owner Bids To Turbo-Charge UK Rail With New Routes

The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from First Group.

These first three paragraphs introduce FirstGroup’s application for the first phase of three separate applications to the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) for new and extended open access rail services.

FirstGroup plc plans to expand its open access rail operations through its successful Lumo business, boosting connectivity, improving UK productivity and passenger choice across the UK.

The expansion aims to replicate the success of Lumo’s Edinburgh to London service in driving material growth on the East Coast Main Line. Lumo operates without government subsidy and contributes more per train mile to infrastructure investment than any other long-distance operator – delivering growth on the railway and connectivity to local communities, at a substantial benefit to the taxpayer.

FirstGroup has submitted the first phase of three separate applications to the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) for new and extended open access rail services, which are described in these bullet points.

• A revised application to run new services between Rochdale and London Euston via Manchester Victoria from December 2028; 
• An extension to Lumo’s current Stirling to London Euston track access agreement to operate services beyond 2030;
• A new route between Cardiff and York via Birmingham, Derby, and Sheffield from December 2028; and
• Purchase of new trains meaning continued investment in UK manufacturing of c.£300 million, and long-term jobs.

This paragraph from the press release describes the philosophy of the rolling stock.

Should these applications be successful, FirstGroup will make use of its option to commit further investment in new Hitachi trains built in County Durham. This investment will include five battery electric trains for the Stirling route and three battery electric trains for Rochdale, supporting jobs at Hitachi’s Newton Aycliffe plant. For the services between Cardiff and York, it will deploy refurbished Class 222s.

Note.

1. The Class 222 trains will run the Euston and Stirling service until the future Hitachi trains are delivered in 2028.
2. The Class 222 trains will run the Cardiff and York service from 2028.
3. The Class 222 trains have a maximum speed of 125 mph
4. Avanti West Coast’s Class 390 trains have a maximum speed of 125 mph.
5. Avanti West Coast’s Class 805 trains have a maximum speed of 125 mph on electrification.
6. Avanti West Coast’s Class 807 trains have a maximum speed of 125 mph.
7. Grand Central Trains’s future Hitachi trains have a maximum speed of 125 mph.
8. Hull Trains’s Class 802 trains have a maximum speed of 125 mph.
9. Lumo’s current Class 803 trains have a maximum speed of 125 mph.
10. LNER’s current Class 800 and 801 trains have a maximum speed of 125 mph.
11. LNER’s current InterCity 225 trains have a maximum speed of 125 mph.
12. LNER’s future Class 897 trains have a maximum speed of 125 mph.
13. All of the trains, with the exception of the Class 222 trains are electric and have been designed for 140 mph running and can do this if there is appropriate 140 mph signalling.

If the Class 222 trains don’t run on the East and West Coast Main Lines, then these lines could introduce 140 mph running in stages to speed up rail travel between London and the North of England and Scotland.

Rochdale And London

These three paragraphs from the press release describe the proposed Rochdale and London service.

The new Lumo service will operate the first direct service since 2000 between Rochdale and London. Services will call at Manchester Victoria, Eccles, Newton-le-Willows and Warrington Bank Quay. Eccles station connects other parts of the city of Salford, including the fast-growing MediaCity area, via the nearby interchange with Metrolink. Services to Newton-le-Willows will deliver greater rail connectivity for St Helens.

There will be three new return services on weekdays and Sundays, and four return services on Saturdays, which will provide 1.6 million people in the north-west with a convenient and competitively priced direct rail service to London, encouraging people to switch from cars to train as well as providing additional rail capacity. It will also deliver material economic benefits for the communities along the route, including regeneration areas such as Atom Valley and the Liverpool City Region Freeport scheme.

The application has been revised to address the ORR’s concerns about network capacity set out in its letter of July 2025 rejecting FirstGroup’s original application. Supported by extensive modelling, the company has identified sufficient space on the network to accommodate the proposed services. Services will also make use of the Government’s recent investment in power supply for the West Coast Mainline (WCML).

In FirstGroup’s Lumo Seeks To Launch Rochdale – London Open Access Service, I gave my thoughts for Lumo’s application last year.

Differences between the two applications include.

• The service will be run by Lumo’s standard battery-electric Hitachi trains.
• The original application was for six return journeys per day, whereas the new application is for three return services on weekdays and Sundays, and four return services on Saturdays.

Note.

1. The battery-electric trains will be able bridge the 10.4 mile gap between Manchester Victoria and Rochdale, and return after charging on the West Coast Main Line.
2. The battery-electric trains could be useful during engineering works or other disruptions.
3. The trains would be ready for 140 mph running on the West Coast Main Line, when the digital signalling is installed.
4. Is the extra return service on a Saturday to cater for football and rugby fans?

I still feel, that with Lumo’s battery-electric trains one or more services could extend across the Pennines to Hebden Bridge, Bradford Interchange or Leeds. Trains would be recharged for return at Leeds.

Stirling And London

This  paragraph from the press release describes the proposed Stirling and London service.

Stirling has a wide catchment area, with an estimated three million people living within an hour’s drive. Extending the current track access agreement for the Stirling route from May 2030 will support the shift from car to rail, and investment in the city, as well as in the service’s intermediate stations which include Larbert, Greenfaulds and Whifflet, thanks to greater connectivity to London. The four return services weekdays and Saturdays, and three on Sundays, on the new route are expected to start early in the company’s 2027 financial year.

In Lumo To Expand Scotland’s Rail Network With New London-Stirling Rail Route From Spring 2026, I gave my thoughts for Lumo’s application in June 2025.

Differences between the two applications include.

• The service will only be run initially by Class 222 trains.
• The service will be run by Lumo’s standard battery-electric Hitachi trains after 2028.
• The original application was for five return journeys per day, whereas the new application is for four return services on weekdays and Saturdays, and three return services on Sundays.
• In the original application, Lumo’s new route was to link London Euston directly to Stirling, also calling at Milton Keynes, Nuneaton, Crewe, Preston, Carlisle, Lockerbie, Motherwell, Whifflet (serving Coatbridge), Greenfaulds (serving Cumbernauld) and Larbert.

Note.

1. The battery-electric trains could be useful during engineering works or other disruptions.
2. The trains would be ready for 140 mph running on the West Coast Main Line, when the digital signalling is installed.
3. Is the extra return service on a Saturday to cater for football and rugby fans?

It should be noted that there are always more return services per day going to Stirling, than Rochdale.

Could The Rochdale and Stirling Services Share A Path?

Consider.

• The two services use the West Coast Main Line South of Warrington Bank Quay station.
• Pairs of Class 803 trains can split and join.
• A pair of Class 803 trains are shorter than an 11-car Class 390 train.
• An 11-car Class 390 train can call in Warrington Bank Quay or Crewe stations.

I believe that the Rochdale and Stiring services could share a path.

• One Weekday service per day would be a single train.
• Going South, the trains would join at Warrington Bank Quay or Crewe stations.
• Going North, the trains would split at Warrington Bank Quay or Crewe stations.
• The pair of trains would share a platform at Euston station.

Operating like this would increase the connectivity and attractiveness of the services, and probably increase the ridership and profitability.

Cardiff And York  via Birmingham, Derby And Sheffield

These four paragraphs from the press release describe the proposed Cardiff and York service.

Lumo’s new route between Cardiff and York will join up the entire Great British Railway network, connecting all four main lines from the Great Western Main Line to the East Coast Main Line. The plans will also deliver more capacity and drive passenger demand on a previously underserved corridor.

The application proposes six return services each weekday – a significant increase from the current single weekly service.

Bringing Lumo’s popular low-cost model to the corridor will support local communities between Cardiff, Birmingham, Derby, Sheffield, and York. These cities alone have a combined population of more than 2.5 million people. The new services will give local communities access to jobs and services along the route, in support of significant investment that has already been committed by the Government and private sector. This investment includes the Cardiff Capital Regional Investment Zone, the £140million proposed refurbishment at Cardiff Central station, the West Midlands Investment Zone which is expected to create £5.5 billion of growth and 30,000 new jobs, as well as investment plans in Derby, Sheffield and York.

The ORR will now carry out a consultation exercise as well as discuss the applications with Network Rail to secure the required approvals.

Note.

1. Only minimal details are given of the route.
2. The TransPennine Upgrade will create a new electrified route across the Pennines between York and Huddersfield via Church Fenton, Leeds and Dewsbury.
3. The Penistone Line is being upgraded, so that it will handle two trains per hour.
4. In the 1980s, the Penistone Line took InterCity 125s to Barnsley.
5. The connection with the Penistone Line at Huddersfield has been upgraded.

I am reasonably certain, that FirstGroup intend to route the York and Cardiff service over this partially electrified route.

Sections of the route will be as follows.

• Cardiff and Westerleigh junction – 38 miles – Electrified
• Westerleigh junction and Bromsgrove – 65.2 miles – Not Electrified
• Bromsgrove and Proof House junction – 15 miles – Electrified
• Proof House junction and Derby – 40.6 miles – Not Electrified
• Derby and Sheffield – 36.4 miles – Not Electrified
• Sheffield and Huddersfield – 36.4 miles – Not Electrified
• Huddersfield and York – 41.9 miles – Electrified

There are only two sections of track, that is not electrified.

• Westerleigh junction and Bromsgrove – 65.2 miles
• Proof House junction and Huddersfield – 113.4 miles

Out of a total of 273.5 miles, I believe in a few years, with a small amount of extra electrification or more powerful batteries, Hitachi’s battery-electric high-speed trains will have this route cracked and the Class 222 trains can be sent elsewhere to develop another route.

October 30, 2025 - Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Avanti West Coast, Birmingham New Street Station, Bradford Interchange Station, Cardiff Central Station, Class 222 Train, Class 800 Train, Class 801 Train, Class 802 Train, Class 803 Trains, Class 805 Train, Class 807 Train, Derby Station, Digital Signalling, East Coast Main Line, FirstGroup, Grand Central Trains, Hebden Bridge Station, Hitachi Intercity Tri-Mode Battery Train, Hull Trains, Leeds Station, Lumo, Lumo Euston And Rochdale, lumo Euston And Stirling, Office Of Rail And Road, Sheffield Station, West Coast Main Line, York Station