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A prospective train route connecting London and Glasgow may debut in the upcoming year.
Transport company FirstGroup announced its plan for some London-Edinburgh services run by its Lumo brand to be extended to and from Glasgow.
Currently, Avanti West Coast operates direct trains between London and Glasgow.
FirstGroup reported that a considerable amount of Lumo customers presently make their journeys to and from Glasgow through other connections.
Expanding its network would additionally allow for direct connection between Newcastle and Glasgow.
FirstGroup has communicated that it is engaged in talks with the Scottish Government agency Transport Scotland and infrastructure management company Network Rail regarding potential routes and schedules.
The plan is to pursue approval from the Office of Rail and Road, with the goal of starting Glasgow routes by the summer of 2025.
Graham Sutherland, the CEO of FirstGroup, expressed his satisfaction at considering methods to expand the highly sought-after Lumo train service by adding a new route from Edinburgh to Glasgow starting next year.
We have witnessed the potential for growth and opportunity that comes with implementing new open access connections. This includes the considerable environmental advantages of passengers utilizing rail transportation.
“We will collaborate closely with those involved as we perfect this opportunity and present our proposal for this new service.”
Lumo, which was launched in October 2021, runs on an open access basis, meaning it receives no taxpayer-funded subsidies and take on all revenue risk.
In England, the majority of train operators receive a management fee, while the UK Government is responsible for covering costs and revenue.
ScotRail and Transport for Wales Rail are both operated by the government.
In the previous month, FirstGroup revealed a proposal to run a fresh unrestricted service between London King’s Cross and Sheffield starting in the latter part of next year.
Last week, the rail minister, Hew Merriman, stated that the open access system is continuously growing and he aims to accelerate the application process and entice more operators by offering up unused timetable slots.
The source is the Independent.
