First Group to take on LNER and EasyJet on ECML

[hexagon789]

26 minutes ago, RichardT said:

Of far more interest to us track bashers: does anyone know if the LUMO services will run through York station, or take the avoiding lines currently only used for freight?  RTT is ambiguous on that point.

 

Richard T

Station platforms, in fact one service is booked to stop there unadvertised for pathing reasons, one service is booked to do the same at Darlington.

[4630]

16 minutes ago, RichardT said:

Of far more interest to us track bashers: does anyone know if the LUMO services will run through York station, or take the avoiding lines currently only used for freight?  RTT is ambiguous on that point.

 

Richard T

 

According to my reading of the schedule all southbound LUMO services from Edinburgh are routed via platform 3 at York.

 

The northbound services look a little bit more interesting.  The schedule suggests that 1S95 and 1S99 are both routed via platform 5;

 

RTT - LUMO services via York

 

Three northbound services (1S91, 1S93 & 1S97) do though appear to be routed via York Yard South Junction which would suggest to me that they're using the station avoider; 

 

RTT - LUMO services via York Yard South Junction

 

Be interesting to see what happens on the day.

 

 

 

 

[Gilbert]

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:C18721/2021-12-14/detailed

[RichardT]

Thanks for the quick replies re the York avoiding line. That’s what I’d meant about RTT being ambiguous: some services give York (pass) as a timing point, others York Yard South (pass).  Technically, you could still give York Yard South as a timing point if you were passing through the station but….
 

We shall wait & see!

 

I’m from York, and I’m aware that some freight services pass through the station rather than the avoiding line. But given the squeeze on paths north of York*, the current lack of non-platform through lines in York station, and the LUMO marketing of fast end to end timings, I did wonder if they’d try to avoid the station congestion with at least some of their services.

 

RT

 

*I now live in Darlington and, despite what was said upthread, the proposed 2022 ECML timetable changes lose us a number of useful train services - LNER, XC and TPE - losing some connectivity across the north, midlands & Scotland. Some of this may be demand management, but one can’t help ascribing it in part to the need to provide train paths for the non-stop LUMO. I believe that timetable change is now in doubt, so once again, we shall see…

 

 

[hexagon789]

2 minutes ago, RichardT said:

I now live in Darlington and, despite what was said upthread, the proposed 2022 ECML timetable changes lose us a number of useful train services - LNER, XC and TPE - losing some connectivity across the north, midlands & Scotland. Some of this may be demand management, but one can’t help ascribing it in part to the need to provide train paths for the non-stop LUMO. I believe that timetable change is now in doubt, so once again, we shall see…

The May 2022 change has been paused until May 2023 and may well be altered by then.

 

The paths for LUMO already existed, but were not available at even intervals, hence the somewhat messy timetable they have.

[DavidB-AU]

 

[Michael Hodgson]

3 hours ago, DavidB-AU said:

 

London to Edinburgh in less than 12 minutes is good going.

 

I like the livery, but that train would look so much better if it had white surrounds to the windows - but that would rather be taking the p*ss out of Pullman.

 

[adb968008]

I had a quick look last night and couldnt find any fares before December, and those in December were higher (£66 single) than LNERs….

its not just the blue that reminds me of Ryanair.

[Michael Hodgson]

47 minutes ago, adb968008 said:

Its not just the blue that reminds me of Ryanair.

Do you have to wear a coat with lots of big pockets so as not to pay extra for your luggage?

[hexagon789]

2 hours ago, adb968008 said:

I had a quick look last night and couldnt find any fares before December, and those in December were higher (£66 single) than LNERs….

its not just the blue that reminds me of Ryanair.

I don't know when you looked, they don't launch properly until Monday, but I could find London to Edinburgh for £19.90 (the base rate) easily enough. 

Edited October 23, 2021 by hexagon789

[lmsforever]

Hope this service brings passengers back to rail  a good way to get to Scotland  also like the livery and name hope it is a success.

[DavidB-AU]

16 hours ago, adb968008 said:

its not just the blue that reminds me of Ryanair.

 

Nah, if it was Ryanair they would start at Stevenage and terminate at Berwick-upon-Tweed and call them "London" and "Edinburgh".  EDIT: and every brake application would be emergency before a "hard nudge" into the buffers.

 

Cheers

David

Edited October 24, 2021 by DavidB-AU

[adb968008]

18 hours ago, hexagon789 said:

I don't know when you looked, they don't launch properly until Monday, but I could find London to Edinburgh for £19.90 (the base rate) easily enough. 

Which date was that ?

[hexagon789]

4 hours ago, adb968008 said:

Which date was that ?

Monday 1st November 

[MarkC]

On 10/09/2021 at 13:46, RichardT said:

Of far more interest to us track bashers: does anyone know if the LUMO services will run through York station, or take the avoiding lines currently only used for freight?  RTT is ambiguous on that point.

 

Richard T

Apparently some Down services will use the avoider - possibly at signaller's discretion. No point in Up services doing this, as you have to cross the Down lines twice, of course, and York gets pretty busy at times.

[MarkC]

On 07/09/2021 at 14:36, Ron Ron Ron said:

 

You arrive at the airport with the boarding pass in your hand or on your phone already.

You won't collect a boarding pass at the airport, particularly for domestic or short haul European flights, unless you are one of the relatively small number of people who leave check-in until you get to the airport, or if you intend to collect your boarding pass from one of the self-service machines, rather than print off a paper version at home, or the office.

 

At present you do have to pick up your boarding pass at the airport, so that your documents can be checked. You can still check in on line in the normal way, but not get your QR code or bit of paper. At least, that's what I've found, having flown 5 times this year already.

[31A]

On 10/09/2021 at 13:14, 4630 said:

 

According to my reading of the schedule all southbound LUMO services from Edinburgh are routed via platform 3 at York.

 

The northbound services look a little bit more interesting.  The schedule suggests that 1S95 and 1S99 are both routed via platform 5;

 

RTT - LUMO services via York

 

Three northbound services (1S91, 1S93 & 1S97) do though appear to be routed via York Yard South Junction which would suggest to me that they're using the station avoider; 

 

RTT - LUMO services via York Yard South Junction

 

Be interesting to see what happens on the day.

 

 

 

 

 

On 10/09/2021 at 13:53, RichardT said:

Thanks for the quick replies re the York avoiding line. That’s what I’d meant about RTT being ambiguous: some services give York (pass) as a timing point, others York Yard South (pass).  Technically, you could still give York Yard South as a timing point if you were passing through the station but….
 

We shall wait & see!

 

I’m from York, and I’m aware that some freight services pass through the station rather than the avoiding line. But given the squeeze on paths north of York*, the current lack of non-platform through lines in York station, and the LUMO marketing of fast end to end timings, I did wonder if they’d try to avoid the station congestion with at least some of their services.

 

RT

 

*I now live in Darlington and, despite what was said upthread, the proposed 2022 ECML timetable changes lose us a number of useful train services - LNER, XC and TPE - losing some connectivity across the north, midlands & Scotland. Some of this may be demand management, but one can’t help ascribing it in part to the need to provide train paths for the non-stop LUMO. I believe that timetable change is now in doubt, so once again, we shall see…

 

 

 

If York Yard South is shown as a timing point in a train's schedule, it indicates that the train is booked to take the York Avoiding Line and not run through the station.  The timing point is at the location on the Avoiding Line where there as  was formerly a signal box of that name (abolished in 1989).

[Waverley47708]

On 23/10/2021 at 06:35, DavidB-AU said:

 

An interesting video.  At 7:00 as it arrives in  Newcastle there was a brief moment all 4 long distance operators were lined up, XC, LNER, Luton and TPE.  Wonder if anyone got a photo.

 

Open access - what does that mean for passengers.  Does it mean I can't buy a ticket at a ScotRail operated station for example or does it mean connecting services from say Perth can't be bought.

 

Edited October 25, 2021 by Waverley47708

[hexagon789]

1 hour ago, Waverley47708 said:

Open access - what does that mean for passengers.  Does it mean I can't buy a ticket at a ScotRail operated station for example or does it mean connecting services from say Perth can't be bought.

I don't know quite what you mean?

 

If you have a walk-up ticket that's valid on LUMO as it is on any service the ticket itself is valid for (peak/off-peak, Std/First Class etc). If you have an advance then that's valid only on the relevant service, so LUMO Flex tickets for instance are valid only on the relevant LUMO services.

[Waverley47708]

21 hours ago, hexagon789 said:

I don't know quite what you mean?

 

If you have a walk-up ticket that's valid on LUMO as it is on any service the ticket itself is valid for (peak/off-peak, Std/First Class etc). If you have an advance then that's valid only on the relevant service, so LUMO Flex tickets for instance are valid only on the relevant LUMO services.

 

Thanks for you response, I  was wondering what practical difference LUMO not being open access means to me as a passenger. Perhaps it makes none.

 

If I go by LNER I can buy an advanced single from say Aberdour to Kingscross on the LNER website.  The ticket includes a connection service from Aberdour to Waverley which allows me to use any of the ScotRail services for that portion and a specific service on LNER between Waverley and Kingcross.  I was wondering if not being open access means that the if I buy an advanced ticket from LUMO it would not include any connection to Waverley in my Aberdour to Kingscross example.

 

 

[hexagon789]

37 minutes ago, Waverley47708 said:

 

Thanks for you response, I  was wondering what practical difference LUMO not being open access means to me as a passenger. Perhaps it makes none.

 

If I go by LNER I can buy an advanced single from say Aberdour to Kingscross on the LNER website.  The ticket includes a connection service from Aberdour to Waverley which allows me to use any of the ScotRail services for that portion and a specific service on LNER between Waverley and Kingcross.  I was wondering if not being open access means that the if I buy an advanced ticket from LUMO it would not include any connection to Waverley in my Aberdour to Kingscross example.

 

 

You can buy any ticket from LUMO, not just their own fares.

 

A quick search for mid-December (LUMO are sold out of their own cheap Flex tickets until early December), threw up a Aberdour to KGX Advance at £48.50, though that was by an LNER service from Edinburgh not LUMO.

Edited October 26, 2021 by hexagon789

[keefer]

I think, like with any specific operators, it's being mindful of their T&Cs.

I remember the fuss once on a ScotRail train with the Conductor trying to explain to a guy that his XC ticket was only valid on an XC service.

[hexagon789]

10 minutes ago, keefer said:

I think, like with any specific operators, it's being mindful of their T&Cs.

I remember the fuss once on a ScotRail train with the Conductor trying to explain to a guy that his XC ticket was only valid on an XC service.

And usually cheaper if TOC-specific. There was a XC Only Glasgow-Edinburgh fare that was £5.05, when the normal fare was £17-sonething..

[hmrspaul]

Lumo have been running for a couple of days now and very unusually the Down morning service goes on the usually freight only avoiding line at York. The morning up service goes through the station.

Todays train https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/lumo/ecdf085e2

 

Shame it is such an unimaginative livery. 

 

Paul