Train company Lumo has faced criticism after running services of around six hours without functioning toilets on board. The issue affected some services on its 417-mile route between London Euston and Stirling on the West Coast Main Line.
On Friday, Lumo apologized to passengers on its 6.11am service from Euston, stating there were no toilet facilities due to a fault. The company advised passengers to speak to onboard staff for assistance. The service was delayed by 58 minutes and terminated at Motherwell, North Lanarkshire, about 30 miles south of Stirling.
Social media backlash
The company also flagged the issue on Saturday when a toilet was out of action. Services reportedly made longer stops at stations like Preston so passengers could use platform toilets.
Olly Glover, the Liberal Democrat MP for Didcot and Wantage, joked on social media: 'Is Lumo attempting to become the Ryanair of the rails? Literally taking the p**s'. Another person quipped: 'What assistance can staff provide? A bucket?'
One passenger said: 'Quite simply you should not be running that train until it is fixed. How can it *possibly* be acceptable to run a 6 hour train service with no sanitary facilities?' Many also raised concerns about the impact on passengers with disabilities or health issues.
Operator's response
Train operators in the UK are not legally required to provide toilets, but passengers expect them on long-distance services. The affected trains are Class 222 Meridian units, refurbished for Lumo by Alstom.
A Lumo spokesperson said: 'We have been experiencing some issues with the reliability of some of our onboard toilet facilities onboard our West Coast services. We are working closely with Alstom to rectify the issues.'
An Alstom spokesperson added: 'We recognise that this falls short of the standard fare-paying passengers should expect, particularly on long-distance services. Working closely with Lumo, we are reviewing the entire fleet position to reduce the risk of repeat failures, improve overnight servicing checks, and ensure toilet availability is restored and maintained wherever possible on the operator's West Coast route.'
Context of rail reforms
The UK's railways are being transformed under the government's Great British Railways initiative, with several operators already renationalised. Lumo, however, operates on an open-access basis, setting its own fares and taking on revenue risk without taxpayer subsidies.
