Next month Lumo – a new low cost rail service from London to Scotland – takes to the rails.

The company, created by the FirstGroup travel company, plans to offer fares for significantly less than existing rail prices on the same route. One-way fares will be £20 in their initial opening offer, with 60% of fares after that capped at £30.

Lumo believes that they will be able to win market share from the airlines operating on the route, as research has shown that many people would prefer to take a more environmentally-friendly journey.

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Lumo Trains

Brits want to travel by train…if the price is right

We have previously reported on Ski Flight Free that 45% of Brits surveyed said that they would choose train travel over flying to ensure greater sustainability, but that 49% would be more likely to switch to rail travel if the ticket price was cheaper than flying.

Lumo’s first departures will leave London King’s Cross on 25 October at 1045 and 1436, with trains leaving Edinburgh at 0911 and 1612.

The journey will take 4½ hours and will generate only 1/6th of the emissions of a flight. Tickets are currently available for less than half the price of LNER’s fares on the same route:

 

“This could be a real game changer”

Mark Smith, famous for his railway expert alias as ‘The Man in Seat 61’ said:

“For years the high cost of rail travel has been cited by those turning to the cheaper options offered by airlines, but the arrival of Lumo could be a real game changer.”