‘Lumo’ will offer a new customer experience
A new open access operator owned by First Group and operating under the brand ‘Lumo’ will commence services between King’s Cross and Edinburgh Waverley on October 25 (see also Units, page 28). The aim is to provide a service that will attract airline passengers, of which there were 900,000 per year flying between the Scottish capital and London prior to the Covid outbreak.
Regulatory approval was granted on May 12, 2016 that allowed five daily return services at off peak times calling at Stevenage, Newcastle, and Morpeth to commence in 2021 to allow sufficient time for the procurement of rolling stock. Initially the service will be limited to two return trips, with a third being added in December.
Exhaustive economic modelling was carried by the Office for Rail and Road to validate the requirement that the services would not be primarily abstractive and that at least 30% of revenue would come from new rail business. This was judged to be the case.
SINGLE CLASS ACCOMMODATION
A part of the justification was that only standard class accommodation would be provided, thus preserving income to the franchised operator from first class fares. An innovative at-seat catering service offering pre-ordered food and drink for multiple providers, as well as a regular trolley service will be available on the new trains.
First Group ordered five Class 803 five-car sets, financed by Beacon Rail, which were assembled by Hitachi at Newton Aycliffe after receiving bodyshells built in Japan. The trains can be coupled to other Class 800 series units and have a 125mph capability but, like competitor LNER’s Class 801s, are electric rather than bi-mode units.
ENCOURAGING MODAL SHIFT
The intention is to improve rail market share at the expense of airline travel by offering low fares which are to start at £14.90 if purchased in advance. Walk-up fares will be available at a cost of £69, these prices being based on single journeys for the complete route.
The Stevenage stop has been included with the aim of attracting passengers who currently fly between Luton airport and Edinburgh where easyJet provide services.
The Morpeth stop is a reflection of a poorly served station with a large potential catchment area.
It’s fair to say the marketing approach is very different to anything that has been tried before and is a reflection of how it is expected digital technology can be used to sell capacity. When reserving a seat, passengers are to be asked the purpose of the journey so that different users can be segregated, such as people travelling on business, families for leisure purposes, or travel for event-based activities such attending festivals, football matches, or wedding parties.