What Lumo does

Lumo is a UK open access rail operator that runs 100% electric passenger train services as a wholly-owned subsidiary of FirstGroup plc, operating under the legal entity East Coast Trains Limited. The company was founded in 2021 and initially operated on the East Coast Main Line, connecting London King's Cross with Stevenage, Newcastle, Morpeth, Edinburgh, and Glasgow. In March 2026 Lumo expanded onto the West Coast Main Line, launching services between London Euston and Stirling via Milton Keynes, Nuneaton, Crewe, Preston, Carlisle, and additional Scottish stops, supported by a newly opened rail base in Preston that created around 100 jobs.

The core product is passenger rail transport, delivered using Class 222 electric trains refurbished by Alstom's Widnes facility in partnership with Beacon Rail. The product portfolio is anchored by the LumoGo mobile application (iOS/Android) and lumo.co.uk, which together handle ticket booking, e-ticket delivery, live train times, journey planning, and onboard entertainment. Ancillary services include LumoEats onboard catering, LumoLuggage door-to-door courier for oversized bags, seat reservations, group travel (10+ passengers), and business travel accounts. Pricing is direct-to-consumer unit pricing with advance fares from £9.90, no booking fees, railcards accepted, and tickets bookable up to 26 weeks ahead.

Revenue is generated primarily from passenger ticket sales (transaction fees) plus ancillary services, with SilverRail Technologies UK Limited acting as merchant of record for payment processing. The customer base is fragmented: budget-conscious leisure and business travellers between London and Scotland, plus families and corporate users. Approximately 95% of the workforce joined through an apprenticeship programme in partnership with Train'd Up, and the operator has been ranked the UK's #1 rail operator for value for money with 90% customer satisfaction in the Transport Focus RCXS survey (October 2025–March 2026). Revenue is not publicly disclosed; FirstGroup reports group-level financials only.

Name

Lumo

Legal name

East Coast Trains Limited

Website

https://lumo.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Lumo is a UK open access, 100% electric rail operator owned by FirstGroup plc, providing budget direct-to-consumer train services on the East Coast and West Coast Main Lines between London and Scotland, supported by the LumoGo app and ancillary services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Passenger Rail Transportation

NAICS

Rail Transportation (48211), Rail Transportation (4821)

SIC

Transportation Services (4700)

akta.pro primary industry

Open-Access Intercity Rail Operators (Private) (THAIAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Private/Open-Access Intercity Rail Operators (TLAFADAC)

Keywords

• Passenger rail services
• Open access rail
• Train ticket booking
• Electric rail travel
• Long-distance rail

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Passenger Rail Ticket Sales: Lumo generates primary revenue through the sale of train tickets across its East Coast and West Coast Main Line routes. Tickets are sold directly through the company website and mobile app, with advance fares available up to 26 weeks ahead. The company operates on an open access model, competing with other rail operators for passengers on these routes.
2. Ancillary Services: Additional revenue streams include LumoEats onboard food and refreshment trolley service, LumoLuggage courier service for door-to-door luggage delivery, and seat reservation fees for flexible tickets.
3. Booking Service Partnership: Rail booking service operated through partner SilverRail Technologies UK Limited, which acts as merchant of record and processes payments on behalf of Lumo.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Lumo is an open access rail operator selling fully electric, low-cost passenger train services between London and major cities in North East England and Scotland via the East Coast Main Line and West Coast Main Line. The company sells advance and flexible tickets directly to travellers through its website and the LumoGo app with no booking fees, and supplements the core rail service with LumoEats onboard catering and LumoLuggage door-to-door luggage delivery.

Product overview

Lumo is an open access, low-cost rail operator providing 100% electric train services across the UK. The core offering is passenger rail transport on the East Coast Main Line (connecting Glasgow, Edinburgh, Newcastle, Stevenage, and London King's Cross) and West Coast Main Line (connecting London Euston with Stirling via Milton Keynes, Nuneaton, Crewe, Preston, Carlisle, Lockerbie, Motherwell, and other stops). The product portfolio centers on the core rail services supported by the LumoGo mobile app for ticketing and journey planning, with ancillary services including LumoEats onboard catering, LumoLuggage courier service for oversized items, and various ticket types (Advance, Anytime, Off-Peak, Season Tickets) and add-ons (seat reservations, railcards, passenger assistance, business accounts).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LumoGo: Mobile application for booking train tickets and checking live train times.
• LumoEats
• LumoLuggage

Products and services

• Lumo Rail Services Low-cost fully electric train services on the East Coast Main Line (London King's Cross, Stevenage, Newcastle, Morpeth, Edinburgh, Glasgow) and West Coast Main Line (London Euston, Milton Keynes, Nuneaton, Crewe, Preston, Carlisle, Lockerbie, Motherwell, Whifflet, Greenfaulds, Larbert, Stirling). Targeted at individual budget-conscious leisure, family, and business travellers.
• LumoGo Mobile App Mobile application for booking train tickets and checking live train times, available on iOS and Android. Used by individual passengers to purchase and manage Lumo rail tickets.
• LumoLuggage Courier Service Door-to-door luggage courier service for bags that cannot fit onboard trains, including sports equipment like bikes, golf clubs, and skis. Sold to individual rail passengers and other customers.
• LumoEats Onboard Catering Onboard food and refreshment trolley service offering snacks and beverages to passengers during train journeys. Sold to Lumo rail passengers and supplied with regional UK producers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 90% overall customer satisfaction score in Rail Customer Experience Survey (RCXS)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Train'd UpcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 April 2026Apprenticeship programme partnership through which 95% of Lumo's workforce has joined. Train'd Up provides training and development for apprentice customer drivers and other rail staff positions.
• AlstomcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 23 March 2026Alstom's modernisation facility in Widnes carries out refurbishment work on Lumo's Class 222 trains, including application of new livery for West Coast services.
• Beacon RailmajorTechnology or Integration · 23 March 2026Beacon Rail partners with Alstom in the refurbishment of Lumo's Class 222 trains for the new West Coast Main Line services.
• SilverRail Technologies UK LimitedcoreTechnology or IntegrationSilverRail operates as merchant of record for Lumo's rail booking service, processing payments and handling refunds and chargebacks on behalf of Lumo.
• Life Science Centre NewcastleminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership offering Lumo passengers 20% discount on The Great Dinosaur Escape exhibition. Families travelling to Newcastle can claim the discount using code LUMO20.
• Tyneside CinemaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerExclusive offers for Lumo customers including £5 children's tickets on selected family screenings, half-price kids' meals during summer holidays, and 10% off adult cinema tickets.
• North East Chamber of CommerceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaboration on Chamber Connect event bringing together businesses from North East England and Scotland to promote cross-border economic relationships.
• Edinburgh Chamber of CommerceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner in Chamber Connect event to facilitate business networking between Edinburgh and North East England businesses.
• Glasgow Chamber of CommerceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner in cross-border business collaboration initiative linking Glasgow businesses with North East England via Lumo rail services.
• RingtonsminorOthersUK-based tea and coffee supplier featured in Lumo's onboard service, supporting local British suppliers.
• WATA DrinksminorOthersNewcastle-based drinks supplier providing products for Lumo's onboard service as part of commitment to regional suppliers.
• Holyrood DistilleryminorOthersScottish distillery supplying whisky products for Lumo's onboard service, supporting Scottish producers along the rail route.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Hull Trains: Sister company under FirstGroup's open access rail division, also operating as a private open access rail operator in the UK under the same regulatory model and shared leadership (Stuart Jones). Most directly comparable operator in scale and business model.
• Avanti West Coast: The incumbent intercity operator on the West Coast Main Line that Lumo is now directly competing against on the London-Stirling route. Comparable in product (intercity rail travel), customer base (London-Scotland business and leisure travellers), but operates as a franchised operator with larger scale.
• LNER (London North Eastern Railway): Incumbent franchised operator on the East Coast Main Line, directly competing with Lumo on London-Edinburgh, London-Newcastle, and London-Glasgow routes. Closest direct competitor on Lumo's primary corridor with similar intercity passenger positioning.
• CrossCountry Trains: Long-distance rail operator in the UK running services across multiple corridors including overlapping routes through Newcastle and Scotland. Comparable as another intercity passenger rail operator serving east-west and north-south routes.
• TransPennine Express: UK intercity operator running services connecting northern England with Scotland, including overlapping city pairs (e.g., Newcastle-Edinburgh-Glasgow). Comparable passenger rail operator serving similar travel corridors with similar customer base.
• Grand Central Rail: Another UK open access rail operator running intercity services, providing a directly comparable open access business model under the same regulatory framework (Office of Rail & Road). Particularly relevant as an open access competitor.
• Caledonian Sleeper: Operator of overnight sleeper services between London and Scotland, sharing Lumo's London-Scotland intercity market with a different product format but overlapping customer base and corridor.

Broad incumbents

• Eurostar: International high-speed rail operator connecting London with continental Europe via St Pancras. Comparable as a consumer-facing intercity rail brand with similar digital-first ticketing approach, though operating international routes rather than domestic UK.
• Heathrow Express: Premium UK rail service operating on a specific corridor with FirstGroup involvement historically. Comparable as another FirstGroup-affiliated rail brand operating in the UK passenger rail market.
• Great Western Railway (GWR): FirstGroup-owned UK franchised intercity operator serving different corridors (London-West of England/Wales). Same parent company as Lumo and similar consumer brand positioning, though operating under franchise rather than open access.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/LumoTravel
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@lumotravel8727
• Facebookfacebook.com/LumoTravel
• Instagraminstagram.com/lumotravel
• TikToktiktok.com/@lumotravel
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lumotravel

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Lumo