Rail now preferred choice over air travel between Edinburgh and London as 1 million passengers pick Lumo

• Lumo to have carried a million passengers by November
• Lumo fleet has now travelled a million 100% electric miles
• Average ticket price is just £37

FirstGroup’s 100% electric rail operator Lumo has achieved two major milestones in its first year, having attracted a million passengers and seen rail overtake air travel to become the preferred mode of transport between Edinburgh and London.

Since the introduction of its full timetable in April, Lumo has helped to make rail the favoured mode of transport between Edinburgh and London for the first time*. Its average ticket price is just £37.

Between April and August, for the first time over half (57%) of journeys between Edinburgh and London were by rail, compared to a pre-pandemic position of 35%. Some 63% of travellers chose rail over domestic flights in July itself, suggesting the trend may be set to continue.

Martijn Gilbert, Managing Director of Lumo, commented: “The increase in rail’s share of passengers between London and Edinburgh demonstrates the value Lumo has brought to the East Coast Main Line. Not only have we attracted passengers to cleaner transport, we have noticed that other operators have also increased their market share. Together we have convinced the public that the convenience, price and environmental impact of rail is well worth it.”

The budget rail operator will carry its millionth passenger in November having run more than 2,500 services, the equivalent of around 4,125 full flights** each carrying 180 people.

Lumo estimates that it could have saved the equivalent CO₂ emissions of 21,000 homes’ electricity use for an entire year by virtue of its passengers choosing its 100% electric trains rather than flying***. Its fleet has now travelled over one million miles.

The cheapest Lumo fare currently available between London and Edinburgh is £26.90 and the most you’ll pay this month is £69.80. Its trains are on average 86% full. Tickets between Newcastle and Edinburgh are just £9.90.

Graham Sutherland, FirstGroup Chief Executive Officer, said: “Lumo underlines our commitment to putting passengers first with innovation and best in class service. We have invested more than £100m to ensure Lumo encourages people to choose rail between Edinburgh, Newcastle and London. Reaching a million passengers and contributing to a genuine shift in passenger behaviour are encouraging benchmarks for the future as we help to reduce congestion on the roads, improve air quality and facilitate the transition to a zero-carbon world.”

Rail Minister, Kevin Foster said: “The addition of Lumo’s electric trains to the East Coast Main Line is just one way our railways are leading the way in decarbonising transport. As we continue striving towards net-zero by 2050, operators like Lumo will help ensure we meet this ambitious target.”

Lumo launched in October 2021 after a £115 million investment by FirstGroup and with its sights set on converting domestic air travellers to rail. Edinburgh to London remains the UK’s most popular domestic air route with nearly 500 flights every week between the capitals****.

Martijn Gilbert added: “It is vital for the economy to have an affordable and sustainable means to travel long distances. I know we have opened up the route for people for the first time just by being cheaper than the alternatives previously available. Lumo has not changed passenger habits on its own – but the rail network has proven its value, comfort and convenience to passengers convincingly.”

Notes

* Using the publicly available Civil Aviation Authority data along with the Rail Industry LENNON sales data it is possible to estimate a Rail Air market share between Edinburgh and London.

** Estimated using Airbus A320 with seating capacity of 180 people

*** 5,500 flights of 180 passengers = 26.33 tonnes of CO2 x 5,500 = 144,815 tonnes CO2. Rail is at least six times greener than travelling by air, meaning the CO2 equivalent savings are at least 120,680 tonnes of CO2. World Land Trust Carbon Calculator used for calculations. https://www.epa.gov/energy/greenhouse-gas-equivalencies-calculator#results used for equivalencies.

**** Source: SkyScanner