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 | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Taste Of The Future

On Friday, I went to Chester and took a train home from Crewe to Euston.

It was a new Hitachi Class 805, that sped me to London, with just a stop at Milton Keynes.

This picture shows the train arriving at Crewe.

Note.

  1. High Speed Two it is not, but it went most of the way to Euston at 125 mph in an hour and 50 minutes.
  2. High Speed Two will take 56 minutes, although that is not cast in stone and steel yet.
  3. Crewe is one of the towns and cities, that will benefit most from High Speed Two.

But whether High Speed Two is delivered or or not, Crewe’s train service should improve in Spring 2026, as the first Lumo service on the West Coast Main Line service will be starting.

I describe the service in Lumo To Expand Scotland’s Rail Network With New London-Stirling Rail Route From Spring 2026.

This paragraph from the linked post, describes the route.

Lumo’s new route will 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.

It is fully-electrified and can support 125 mph running most, if not all, of the way.

It will certainly give knowledgeable travellers options on how they travel on the West Coast Main Line.

Lumo are also proposing another open access service on the West Coast Main Line to Rochdale, which will increase travel options.

My only worry is that Heidi Alexander will cancel it, on the grounds that open access services abstract the revenue of Great British Railways.

But then after announcing the service in a reception in Holyrood, she surely couldn’t cancel it now.

On the other hand, it could be that this Labour Government has discovered that open access trains are a more affordable way of developing rail services to and from London and over longer distances.

Consider.

  • Recently, Lumo has proposed open access services from London to Carmarthen, Paignton, Rochdale and Stirling.
  • Recently, Arriva has proposed open access services from London to Cleethorpes, Grimsby and Scunthorpe and between Newcastle and Brighton.
  • Recently, Alsthom has proposed open access services from London to Shewsbury and Wrexham.

Not one of these services will cost the government a lot of money, but Network Rail will pick up access charges.

So has Heidi Alexander seen sense and feels that it is better to allow more open access services?

Could Any Other Open Access Services Be Opened On The West Coast Main Line?

London Euston and Rochdale is planned by Lumo and I wrote about it in FirstGroup’s Lumo Seeks To Launch Rochdale – London Open Access Service.

This sentence from the linked post, gives the route.

The trains would call at Warrington Bank Quay, Newton-le-Willows, Eccles and Manchester Victoria.

Other possibilities would surely be Blackpool and Barrow-in-Furness, but Blackpool gets a three trains per day (tpd) service from Euston and frequent trains from Preston.

Barrow-in-Furness could be a very useful destination.

With increased defence spending, the shipyards will be busy.

It could be another gateway to the Lake District.

Services could be extended to Sellafield, Whitehaven and Workington.

This OpenRailwayMap shows the Cumbrian Coast Line between the West Coast Main Line and Barrow-in-Furness.

Note.

  1. The red tracks on the Eastern side of the map is the electrified West Coast Main Line.
  2. At the bottom of the map on the West Coast Main Line is Lancaster, with its station.
  3. The black track going West from Lancaster is the Morecambe and Heysham branch.
  4. The black track going West across the top of the map is the Cumbrian Coast Line.
  5. Barrow-in-Furness station is indicated by the blue arrow.
  6. The length of track without electrification on the route is less than thirty miles.

One of Lumo’s battery-electric trains would easily handle a London Euston and Barrow-in-Furness route.

Conclusion

There is obviously scope for new railway routes in the UK and some will be suitable for open access operators.

Perhaps, we need the Office of Road and Rail to be more proactive in deciding, when a route is to be served and then select an operator.

It would need to be an unbiased apolitical process, to stop an incumbent political party running trains to marginal seats, they hoped to win.

 

June 8, 2025 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Lumo To Expand Scotland’s Rail Network With New London-Stirling Rail Route From Spring 2026

The title of this post is the same as this news item from Lumo.

These three bullet points act as sub-headings.

  • Lumo has secured a new route connecting Stirling with London Euston, launching as early as Spring 2026, offering passengers five daily affordable services.
  • The announcement comes as Lumo hosted a special event at Holyrood attended by MSPs and Scotland’s MPs, spotlighting Lumo’s contribution to enhancing rail connectivity for previously underserved communities in Scotland.
  • The route will provide first-ever direct services to London for Whifflet, Greenfaulds, and Larbert, further boosting economic opportunities and travel options in Scotland.

This first paragraph adds some more details.

Lumo, the UK’s leading Open Access rail operator, today announced it has secured five Class 222 six-car trains for its forthcoming route between London Euston and Stirling, beginning as early as Spring 2026. This expansion aims to enhance travel choice and connectivity for passengers along the central belt of Scotland both to England and to Stirling, offering five daily services with the operator renowned for affordability and efficiency.

I have some thoughts.

What Is The Complete Route?

This is the complete route.

Lumo’s new route will 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.

It is fully-electrified and can support 125 mph running most, if not all, of the way.

There Are No Six-Car Class 222 Trains

Consider.

  • Currently, five-car Class 222 trains seat 192 in Standard Class and 50 in First Class.
  • Currently, seven-car Class 222 trains seat 236 in Standard Class and 106 in First Class.
  • Lumo’s five-car Class 803 trains set 402 in Standard Class.
  • Lumo’s trains have no First Class.

I estimate that a six-car Class 222 train, with all Standard Class seating would accommodate not far off the 402 seats of one of Lumo’s bog-standard Class 803 trains.

Having identical numbers of passengers on the two fleets, must surely bring operational advantages.

  • A six-car Class 222 train could replace a five-car Class 803 train or vice-versa, if Lumo were short of trains.
  • Class 222 trains are able to take the Great Northern and Great Eastern Joint Line and other diversions during times of engineering works.
  • The Class 222 trains would be able to run between Euston and Rochdale.
  • The Class 222 trains might be useful for developing services on routes without electrification.

In the future, a six-car Class 222 train could be directly replaced in Lumo’s fleet by a five-car battery-electric Class 803 train.

The Class 222 Trains Are Diesel-Powered

All the noise and vibration could be a problem, but if I am right about the interchangeability of the two fleets, then this gives some advantages too.

  • Earlier delivery of Class 222 trains, than new Class 803 trains, may enable Lumo to start services between Euston and Stirling at an earlier date.
  • Earlier delivery of Class 222 trains, may allow selective withdrawal of Class 803 trains for updating.
  • A mixed fleet of diesel and electric trains may be able to run more services during engineering works, by using diversion routes without electrification.
  • Short route extensions to Dundee or Perth could be tried to assess demand.

There could be some good reasons to get the Class 222 trains into service sooner rather than later.

Will The Diesel Class 222 Trains Be Replaced By Battery-Electric Class 803 Trains?

Although London And Edinburgh By Lumo Using the Joint Line Diversion, was also about Lumo’s proposed Euston and Rochdale service, it was mainly about using battery power to use the Great Northern and Great Eastern Joint Line to avoid engineering works or wiring problems.

Both train types have the following abilities.

  • Ability to go between Stirling and Euston via the West Coast Main Line.
  • Ability to go between Rochdale and Euston via the West Coast Main Line.
  • Ability to go between Stirling and King’s Cross via the East Coast Main Line.
  • Ability to go between Edinburgh and King’s Cross via the East Coast Main Line.
  • Ability to handle the Great Northern and Great Eastern Joint Line on their own power.
  • Ability to handle diversions of up to around a hundred miles on their own power.

As Lumo’s new battery-electric Class 803 trains are delivered, Lumo’s two Anglo-Scottish routes and the one to Rochdale can go all-electric.

Can Lumo Trains Run As Pairs?

I’ve not seen or heard if Lumo have done this, but as I wrote in Ten-Car Hull Trains, I’ve seen Lumo’s sister company Hull Trains run ten-car trains.

As Wikipedia says that both Class 222 and Class 803 trains can run in multiple formations with other trains from the same class, I have to assume it is possible, providing the Fat Controller agrees to the practice.

Has Heidi Alexander Really Said Yes?

After the launch at Holyrood, in front of MSPs and Scottish MPs, it would now be difficult to say No!

But then there’s a by-election to the Scottish Parliament in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse on Thursday.

Is Lumo’s new route an easy drive from the constituency? A Scot, who has worked in the area said Yes!

Conclusion

I like FirstGroup’s plan to create a diesel fleet to introduce new services and back up their current ones, until the new battery-electric Class 803 trains are delivered.

 

 

 

June 2, 2025 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

First High-Speed Rail Service From Rochdale To London In 25 years Secures Political Support

The title if this post, is the same as this article on Rochdale Online.

These are the first three paragraphs.

MPs, local council leaders, businesses and academics gathered in Manchester to show their support for a new high-speed rail service linking Rochdale with London for the first time in 25 years, in a boost to local jobs, growth and connectivity in the North West.

Lumo, which already delivers more reliable, cheaper train travel along the East Coast Main Line, plans to run six return trains a day between Rochdale, Manchester Victoria, Eccles, Newton-le-Willows and Warrington Bank Quay to London Euston from 2027, providing 1.6 million more people in Greater Manchester with a direct link to the capital.

The three-hour service will knock 2hrs 15mins off current journey times by car, secure important emissions savings and create at least 124 direct jobs along the route.

How many other larger towns and cities could use a service like this proposed one to Rochdale?

But Rochdale’s service is more than just a one-dimensional route to and from London.

  • Rochdale and Warrington Bank Quay forms a convenient long-range cross-Manchester service.
  • Connections at Newton-le-Willows and Warrington Bank Quay provide links to Liverpool and North West England, Wales and Scotland.
  • Connections at Manchester Victoria and Eccles provide links to most of Great Manchester.
  • Liverpool’s and Manchester’s plans mean that connectivity will only get better.

It will be interesting to see how Lumo’s Rochdale service evolves and develops in the next few years.

Other cities will certainly want one.

December 15, 2024 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , | 5 Comments

FirstGroup’s Lumo Seeks To Launch Rochdale – London Open Access Service

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette.

These two paragraphs outline the service.

FirstGroup has applied to operate Rochdale – London open access passenger trains, more than 20 years after a short-lived through service ran between the two destinations.

On May 17 FirstGroup said that it had applied to the Office of Rail & Road to launch six Lumo-branded return journeys per day linking London Euston and Rochdale via the West Coast Main Line. The trains would call at Warrington Bank Quay, Newton-le-Willows, Eccles and Manchester Victoria.

These are my thoughts.

The Route Isn’t Fully-Electrified

The route is electrified between London Euston and Manchester Victoria stations, but the 10.4 miles between Manchester Victoria and Rochdale is not electrified.

In Extra Luggage Racks For Lumo, I also talk about the possibility of fitting traction batteries to Lumo’s Class 803 trains, so they could handle the 88.5 mile diversion on the East Coast Main Line via Lincoln.

Trains with a traction battery, with an 88.5 mile range, would be able to travel between Manchester Victoria and Rochdale and return.

How Long Would London Euston And Rochdale Take?

Consider.

  • The fastest London Euston and Warrington Bank Quay services take 1 hour and 44 minutes
  • The fastest Warrington Bank Quay and London Euston services take 1 hour and 47 minutes
  • Northern’s Class 195 trains take between 44-51 minutes Rochdale and Warrington Bank Quay with three stops.
  • Northern’s Class 195 trains take between 29-32 minutes Manchester Victoria and Warrington Bank Quay with two stops.
  • I will add two minutes for the extra stop.

These are my estimates for overall journey times.

  • London Euston and Manchester Victoria – 2 hours and 15 minutes
  • London Euston and Rochdale – 2 hours and 29 minutes
  • Manchester Victoria and London Euston – 2 hours and 21 minutes
  • Rochdale and London Euston – 2 hours and 40 minutes

The fastest direct Avanti West Coast services between London Euston and Manchester Piccadilly take 2 hours and 6 minutes.

Could The Service Be Extended To Leeds?

For my timings between Rochdale and Warrington Bank Quay, I used Northern’s Leeds and Chester service.

This service goes between Manchester Victoria and Leeds calling at Rochdale, Todmorden, Hebden Bridge, Halifax, Bradford Interchange, New Pudsey and Bramley.

I estimate it would take about 3 hours 32 minutes.

When Bradford has a new through station, I wouldn’t be surprised if a train operator looked at this route between London Euston and Leeds.

As Leeds and Manchester Victoria is only 49.8 miles, Lumo’s battery electric trains, with 88.5 mile batteries sized for the Lincoln diversion on the East Coast Main Line, would have no difficulty serving Leeds, where they would charge before return.

Could Lumo Run Pairs Of Five-Car Trains Between London Euston and Manchester Victoria?

As I said in Ten-Car Hull Trains, Lumo’s sister company; Hull Trains, runs the occasional ten-car service.

Perhaps for a big football match or other event, Lumo might like to run ten-car trains between Manchester Victoria and London Euston.

I suspect they could do it if the platforms were long enough, but they wouldn’t be able to run a 260 metre ten-car train to Rochdale, as that station only has a 135 metre long platform.

Warrington Bank Quay Station Will Get Six Extra Non-Stop Trains To And From London

This would provide real competition to Avanti West Coast over this route.

Newton-le-Willows Station Is Only A Few Miles From The Town Of St. Helen’s

Newton-le-Willows station has 400 parking spaces and 32 disabled parking spaces.

Note.

  1. The parking is all free!
  2. There are regular local trains to Chester, Leeds, Liverpool Lime Street, Manchester Airport and Wigan North Western.

A six trains-per-day service to and from London, will help fill up the parking spaces.

Eccles Station Is Within Walking Distance Of Eccles Interchange

This OpenRailwayMap shows Eccles station and Eccles Interchange.

Note.

  1. The mauve tracks are the Manchester Metrolink.
  2. They terminate in the South-West at Eccles Interchange.
  3. The red tracks are the Liverpool-Manchester lines.
  4. Eccles station is a Northerly walk from Eccles Interchange.

This connection must be useful to more than a few.

I suspect if you’re going between London and Media City UK, Salford Quays or Piccadilly Gardens, you may be better to change to the Metrolink at Eccles.

Will Lumo’s Rochdale Service Run As A Flight With Avanti’s Glasgow Service?

Flighting is where two or more trains going on the same route run a few minutes apart.

  • Every hour, on the half hour, an Avanti West Coast service for leaves London Euston for Glasgow Central.
  • As with Lumo’s Rochdale service, the first stop is Warrington Bank Quay station.
  • The Lumo service would leave London Euston a few minutes after Avanti’s Glasgow service.
  • The distance between the two trains would be such, that if the first train stopped, the second train could stop safely.
  • Digital signalling as is being installed on UK rail lines would make it easier to ensure safe separation.

But the benefit would be that both trains ran fast to Warrington Bank Quay station.

A Day-Trip To Manchester

If I’m right about the 2 hours and 15-21 minutes between London Euston and Manchester Victoria, then a day-trip would certainly be feasible.

Last Trains

This is a table of the last train times for Lumo between Newcastle and London.

  • Weekdays – 20:27 21:35
  • Saturdays – 18:27 19:22
  • Sundays – 19:24 20:21

Note.

  1. The first time is the last Northbound departure.
  2. The second time is the last Southbound departure.
  3. Are these late enough for football matches?

I shall be interested to see the proposed last train times for the Manchester route.

  • Will they be timed so you can get a tram from the Etihad or Old Trafford stadium after an evening match, that allowed you to get the last train back to London from Manchester Victoria?
  • Taylor Swift gave the Manchester Arena a lot of favours with her concerts. Would you have been able to see her concert and get the last train back to London?

A few extra full trains wouldn’t hurt Lumo’s finances.

Conclusion

It looks like, this could be a very worthwhile service.

 

May 17, 2024 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments