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Tickets have gone on sale for a new budget train service from Scotland to London launching this summer.
Budget rail company Lumo is setting new long-distance train services in motion on the West Coast Main Line, promising cheaper fares for people travelling between Scotland and the capital.
Tickets are now on sale for travel from 10 July to the end of summer, and some earlier services are expected to be added in the coming weeks, as it’s anticipated that the route will be launched before July.
Customers can book a journey between London and Stirling from as little as £29.90, between London and Preston for £23.90 and between Preston and Stirling for £14.90. Applicable railcards can be added for a further reduction.
Stuart Jones, the managing director of First Rail Open Access, which runs Lumo, said: “These fares are about putting customers first. By offering simple, low-cost tickets and direct services between Scotland, the north west of England and London, we’re making it easier and more affordable for people to travel for work, leisure and family visits.
“Launching Lumo on the West Coast Main Line is an exciting step forward, and with our new base in Preston creating jobs and supporting the local economy, this is a service that will benefit both passengers and communities along the route.”
The new route will run between London Euston and Stirling, calling at Milton Keynes, Nuneaton, Crewe, Preston, Carlisle, Lockerbie, Motherwell, Whifflet, Greenfaulds and Larbert.
The service plans to operate four daily return services between Stirling and London, plus an additional Preston-London return service.
Passengers on the route will use refurbished Class 222 trains, which have had interior upgraded and new seating in some carriages.
There is no first class on these trains, however, as Lumo operates a single class service designed to keep costs low.
The new “open access” service will compete with Avanti West Coast as well as other operators, including TransPennine Express and LNER.
Open access operators, such as Lumo owner FirstGroup, are private railway companies that do not receive government subsidy.
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