Budget train operator Lumo, part of FirstGroup plc, has submitted proposals to the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) for new direct rail services connecting Rochdale to London Euston and Cardiff to York, with the aim of launching by December 2028.
The proposed Rochdale to London route would run via Manchester Victoria, Eccles, Newton-le-Willows and Warrington Bank Quay, offering three return services on weekdays and Sundays, and four on Saturdays. FirstGroup says this would provide 1.6 million people in the north-west with a convenient and competitively priced direct service.
The Cardiff to York route would call at Birmingham and Derby, linking the Great Western Main Line to the East Coast Main Line, with six return services proposed on weekdays. Lumo also seeks to extend its Stirling to London Euston service beyond May 2030, with four return services per day from early 2027.
FirstGroup CEO Graham Sutherland said the company has extensive experience in open access rail operations and that the new services would bring benefits to more communities at no extra cost to the taxpayer. Lumo already operates five daily services between Edinburgh and London, with single tickets from around £50.
