East Coast Trains news
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Rail Business UKFirstGroup announces Cardiff – York open access plan and tries again to serve Rochdale
UK: FirstGroup has made initial submissions of three separate applications to the Office of Rail & Road for new and extended open access passenger train services which would be operated under its Lumo brand.
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NewsRegulator rejects West Coast Main Line open access train service plans
UK: Would-be operators have responded with disappointment to the rail regulator’s decision that there is insufficient capacity to launch three open access passenger train services on the West Coast Main Line.
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Rail Business UKFirst Rail operators to use SilverRail ticketing platform
UK: Ticket technology supplier SilverRail is to provide its e-commerce platform to three of First Rail’s passenger train operators.
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Rail Business UKFirstGroup applies to run Hereford – London open access service
UK: FirstGroup has submitted the first phase of an application to launch an open access passenger service between Hereford, Bristol Parkway and London under its Lumo brand.
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Rail Business UKAlstom to refresh and maintain Lumo Class 222 fleet
UK: Alstom is to refresh and maintain the five Class 222 inter-city diesel multiple-units which FirstGroup is to lease from Eversholt Rail for use Lumo open access services between Stirling and London.
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Rail Business UKTrain lease agreed as FirstGroup prepares to launch Stirling open access service
UK: FirstGroup has secured the rolling stock it needs to launch Lumo-branded open access passenger services between London Euston and Stirling in mid-2026.
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Rail Business UKFirstGroup makes its case for open access alongside Great British Railways
UK: FirstGroup has set out its case for retaining a ‘thriving’ open access sector as part of the restructured railway, arguing that privately-funded services without government contracts can drive growth across all operators including those to be controlled by Great British Railways.
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Rail Business UK‘We grow, they grow’: FirstGroup sets out open access rail aims
Following FirstGroup’s announcement that it is to order more trains to support its growth drive in the open access market, First Rail Managing Director Steve Montgomery explains the next steps to Rail Business UK.
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Rail Business UKFirstGroup orders more Hitachi trains to underpin open access growth ambitions
UK: FirstGroup is to expand its open access fleet with an order for 14 Class 80X trainsets from Hitachi Rail.
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Rail Business UKInterview: ‘Open access works in Europe and it works here’
UK: Martijn Gilbert, head of FirstGroup’s Lumo and Hull Trains businesses, says the open access model is a proven success, and makes the case for further expansion whatever rail reforms may lie ahead.
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Rail Business UKFirstGroup’s Lumo seeks to launch Rochdale – London open access service
UK: 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 ...
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Rail Business UKTrain operator’s apprenticeship scheme goes beyond day-to-day roles
UK: ‘We want to continuously ensure that as many local people as possible have the opportunity to join the rail industry, regardless of their previous skill set or background’, Lumo Managing Director Martijn Gilbert said when he announced that 95% of the open access operator’s workforce ...
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Rail Business UKFirstGroup’s open access performing ahead of expectations
UK: Trading in FirstGroup’s First Rail division has been slightly ahead of expectations due to strong performance at the open access businesses, the company said in a pre-close trading update. The announcement on March 12 covers the period since the half year results were published on ...
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Rail Business UKLumo plans to extend open access services to Glasgow
UK: Open access train operator Lumo is has announced plans to extend some of its London – Edinburgh services to Glasgow. The FirstGroup-owned company is working with Transport Scotland and infrastructure manager Network Rail to agree final route options and timings ahead of an application for ...
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Rail Business UKVirtual train tour to help passengers ahead of travel
UK: Open access operator Lumo has worked with Ocean 3D to develop an interactive 360° walk-through tour of its trains to assist people who may be anxious ahead of entering unfamiliar environments.
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Rail Business UKRisk management and luggage recommendations in report into Lumo overspeed incident
UK: The Rail Accident Investigation Branch makes recommendations covering junction risk management and luggage safety in its report into an incident when a Lumo train passed over points north of Peterborough station at excessive speed. This led to some passengers being thrown from their seats and luggage ...
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In depthUK: Lumo takes on the airlines
In the 18 months since its launch on the London – Edinburgh route, open access operator Lumo has driven up ridership and lifted rail’s market share significantly, as FirstGroup’s Commercial & Revenue Director Stuart Jones explains to Tony Miles.
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Rail Business UKRail needs to get out of a pickle, says Minister in Gherkin
UK: ‘The perception that passengers cannot rely on rail is too close to the truth’, Rail Minister Huw Merriman told representatives of the passenger industry.
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Rail Business UKLumo appoints Service Delivery Director
UK: Jen Clare has been appointed as Service Delivery Director at FirstGroup’s London to Edinburgh open access operator Lumo. Clare has almost 20 years of railway operations experience, having started her career as a signalling apprentice. Before joining Lumo, she was Head ...
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Rail Business UKManaging Director of both Lumo and Hull Trains appointed
UK: FirstGroup has announced the appointment of Martijn Gilbert to the new role of Managing Director of its two open access operators Lumo and Hull Trains.