First look at Stirling to London trains ahead of summer launch

As the countdown is fully underway to the Stirling to London service, operators have unveiled the first refurbished train which will serve the route.

The vehicles from Lumo’s pioneering new West Coast open access rail service, which also calls at Larbert, will be travelling on the tracks for summer.

The trains are being refurbished at Alstom’s Widnes modernisation facility, in partnership with Beacon.

Their refurbished interiors feature refreshed existing seats and some of the coaches in the fleet are being fitted with new seats featuring sleek grey and silver tones.

Lumo operate a single class of standard seating, giving all customers the best seats to take in the stunning views on the cross-border route.

The new service is set to offer Lumo’s trademark customer service, community connections and affordable fares.

Tickets for the phased introduction of services are now on sale for travel dates from June 9 and customers can get the best prices when booking directly, with fares including:

London – Stirling starting from £29.90
London – Preston starting from £23.90
Preston – Stirling starting from £14.90

Stuart Jones, Managing Director of First Rail Open Access, said: “This is a real milestone as we prepare to launch our new West Coast service this spring. The refurbished trains are certainly eye-catching with our signature Lumo blue. I’m also proud of the updated interiors that are ready to provide the comfortable service that we’re renowned for.

“This is a project centred upon collaboration and I’d like to thank Alstom and Beacon or their continued hard work as we prepare to better connect communities on the West Coast.”

Adam Cunliffe, Chief Executive Officer of Beacon, said: “Beacon is delighted to partner with FirstGroup and Alstom on the upgrade of the Lumo Class 222 fleet. Beacon is proud to continually invest in its fleets, and the Class 222 refurbishment will give passengers on the new Lumo West Coast service a refreshed, comfortable interior together with enhanced wi‑fi for improved connectivity. Beacon looks forward to supporting Lumo and Alstom to deliver an additional five refurbished trains and for them to commence passenger service.”

The refurbished Class 222 trains will be visible on the West Coast Main Line, calling at London Euston, Milton Keynes, Nuneaton, Crewe, Preston, Carlisle, Lockerbie, Motherwell, Whifflet, Greenfaulds, Larbert and Stirling.

The refurbishment process has been undertaken in line with Alstom’s policy of sending no waste to landfill, with would-be waste material from the refurbishment process set to be recycled.

Lumo are renowned for being one of the UK’s top performing rail operators, with impressive customer satisfaction scores and reliability.

The operator also serves the East Coast Main Line, linking Scotland with the North East of England and London.