Lumo Set to Launch New West Coast Main Line Service

by Andy B · May 17, 2026

Train operator Lumo is set to start operations on the West Coast Main Line with the launch of its new London to Stirling route at the end of May.

New Lumo West Coast Main Line route

Open-access operator Lumo has announced that it will officially launch its London Euston to Stirling route on the West Coast Main Line on 25 May.

The new route from London to Scotland will launch in phases, initially with a single train in each direction, before being gradually expanded over the coming months.

Once the full timetable is in place on 27 July, there will be four daily Lumo services on the West Coast Main Line between London Euston and Stirling, along with a fifth service operating only between London and Preston.

At weekends, a slightly reduced timetable will be in place.

All Lumo services on the West Coast Main Line will stop at Preston and, depending on the specific departure, may also call at Milton Keynes Central, Nuneaton, Crewe, Carlisle, Lockerbie, Motherwell, Whifflet, Greenfaulds and Larbert.

Lumo train. ©FirstGroup

Competition

The new Lumo route on the West Coast Main Line will be in direct competition with Avanti.

It is welcome news, with increased competition and new journey opportunities on the West Coast Main Line.

Lumo already competes with LNER on the East Coast Main Line between London King’s Cross, Glasgow and Edinburgh.

These East Coast Main Line services also call at stations such as Stevenage, Newcastle, Morpeth, Haymarket and Falkirk.

As I already wrote in my long-read on Substack about open-access operators, competition forces incumbents to improve service quality and reduce fares.

Indeed, Lumo has already proven to be a good-value alternative to more established operators, and this effect is likely to be seen on its new London–Preston–Carlisle–Stirling route as well.