Budget train operator proposes new cheap rail routes for UK

Rail travellers in the UK could soon see new, affordable routes connecting cities such as Cardiff, York, Rochdale and London.

Budget rail operator Lumo, part of transport company FirstGroup plc, aims to add several direct transport links for “new and extended open access rail services”.

The operator already runs five daily services between Edinburgh and London, charging around £50 for a single ticket (depending on the time of travel).

FirstGroup has submitted three separate applications to the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) in the hopes of operating direct routes between Rochdale and London Euston, and Cardiff and York, by December 2028.

The Rochdale to London route would run via Manchester Victoria, Eccles, Newton-le-Willows and Warrington Bank Quay. FirstGroup proposes three return services on weekdays and Sundays and four on Saturdays to provide “1.6 million people in the north-west with a convenient and competitively priced direct rail service.”

The route between Cardiff and York would call at Birmingham and Derby, connecting the Great Western Main Line to the East Coast Main Line. Six return services are proposed on weekdays.

Lumo has also applied to extend its new route between Stirling and London Euston beyond May 2030. There would be four return services per day, and three on Sundays, from early 2027.

Graham Sutherland, FirstGroup CEO, said: “We have extensive experience of running open access rail operations in the UK, and passengers consistently rate our services highly.

“Our new services will allow us to bring the substantial benefits of open access to even more communities, at no additional cost to the taxpayer. Lumo also pays more towards infrastructure investment than other long-distance operators, delivering growth on the railway and connectivity to local communities, so the whole system gains.

The applications follow a green light for Lumo to provide services between London King’s Cross and Glasgow on weekdays, as well as one in each direction on Sundays.

Read more: London and Glasgow to be linked by new service from ‘budget train company’