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New direct trains Stirling - London from 25th May.....

An interesting (which is not the same as exciting....) new service is finally starting at the end of this month, having missed a couple of deadlines. The interesting part is that once the full service is running it will give 4 direct daytime trains between Stirling (plus some station east side of Glasgow) to London Euston via the west coast mainline. Currently there is one to London Kings Cross via the east coast mainline. They also call at either Crewe or Nuneaton (which are an easy connection to Birmingham) also Preston (connecting Liverpool and Manchester). Obviously at Stirling it opens up connections futher north. It's been over 40 years since there was last a direct train on this route - and then only one per day. The benefit is that until now your options were to change trains at Haymarket in Edinburgh, which adds two sides to a triangle in journey length or go via Glasgow and change stations in the city centre.

However, there are a few niggles. There will be no 1st class, which will disappoint a lot of tourists, and catering is minimal. Worst of all, the entire route is electrified but they are starting with 20 year old diesel trains, the motors are under the floor of each car and so there is a background of noise and vibration that you don't get on the electric trains. Whether they will all be refurbished like those in the publicity in time to begin work remains to be seen.

The company is called Lumo, and is not part of the privatised (and soon to be renationalised) fragmented ex British Rail majority of train operating companies - but they are integrated in the National Rail ticketing system. https://www.lumo.co.uk/where-we-go/stirling tickets should be available via all the usual suspects plus the Lumo website/app (which will sell other operators as well).

They already run some less imaginative services on the east coast mainline and because of the fare integration they accept Eurail / Britrail passes - now you see why it's interesting!

Posted by
12030 posts

I'm not really seeing the need for this. Of course, it would probably help people who live in Stirling and maybe others around there, but I don't know of a reason why most tourists would want to take advantage of that.

Most travelers like staying in the cities, i.e., Edinburgh and/or Glasgow, and would probably prefer going directly to one of those two from London as opposed to Stirling. Plus most enjoy visiting Stirling as a day trip, and it's so convenient to do from those 2 cities. I guess I don't understand the rationale, and don't think it will really affect tourists that much.

I can't see myself taking advantage of it, and I like train travel and I like Stirling.

Posted by
77 posts

I suspect the thinking is more about connectivity at Stirling than Stirling itself. And it could open Stirling to the day trip/ short break market from northwest England, as well as less hassle the time saving is around 30 minutes each way compared to via Glasgow.

Posted by
11704 posts

The Lumo service also calls at Carlisle (for the Lake District and Hadrian's Wall). There is a world outside of the tourist itinerary we see on these forums, and a world outside of the major cities. Many people also do more than a day visit to Stirling or area (like the Trossachs).

Avanti have been sufficiently worried about this service, and it's revenue abstractive effect, that they have been offering Advance Fares to the north of Glasgow/Edinburgh (via Scotrail) for well over a year now. I've used those Advance fares several times, essentially the travel north of Edinburgh/Glasgow is free. As long as I'm sensible I can use any train on a through Advance fare north of EDI/GLA.

At Stirling there are connections further north (Inverness and beyond) and east into Scotland, also it avoids the slightly awkward cross Glasgow change. The former day and night trains were well used, and have been much missed by many since they were withdrawn.

Personally I am not at all a fan of Lumo (especially their baggage policy), but can see the real benefits of this service. Stirling has more terminal platforms than Perth, so is way more flexible, hence the Stirling terminus.

But sometimes it is the intermediate journeys which also count- a week today I'm going from Carlisle to Nuneaton for the day - not the most straightforward journey on Avanti (I have to change twice southbound, at least on the 0547 from Carlisle). At Nuneaton you change for Birmingham, Leamington Spa, and the East Midlands (places like Leicester). My trip is partly chasing Roman remains in the area but mainly doing a tourist journey for someone from WA state who currently can't come over due to health reasons- chasing her ancestry outside Nuneaton and at a place nearby called Mancetter. If she was able to be in the UK the Lumo train would suit her, she'd be less fussed than me about my 1st class breakfast on the way down, and the Cheshire Lounge at Crewe on the way back/dinner on the way back (for work reasons the Cheshire lounge has been on my desk for way too long). She isn't a public transport user (other than in Norway) so simplicity is key to her.
It may be a very weird feeling doing a tourist journey for someone else but it should be a fascinating day.