The upgrade to the 125mph trains, introduces a brighter, more durable seat fabric while maintaining Lumo’s signature blue colour scheme. The new seats continue to offer generous legroom, winged headrests, and individual table lights with large tray tables. Customers able to buy refreshments from an onboard trolley service including sandwiches as part of a trial over the Easter period.
Alongside the physical upgrades, Lumo has launched a free online seat selection tool, allowing passengers to choose their preferred seat, be it window, aisle, or table, when booking directly through the Lumo website. This feature is designed to help customers make the most of the scenic East Coast Main Line, particularly the picturesque stretch between Berwick-upon-Tweed and Edinburgh.
The enhancements come as Lumo approaches its fifth year of operation, during which it has contributed to an additional 1.4 million journeys annually, encouraging people to opt for its low-cost, low-carbon service over car or air travel.
Operating 100% electric trains built by Hitachi in the North East of England, Lumo is proud to highlight how its services are 95% more environmentally friendly than equivalent flights, with fares between London and Edinburgh averaging around £55.
Martijn Gilbert, Managing Director of Lumo, told Newcastle World: “Our services travel through some of the most beautiful, scenic routes in the UK, including the North East England coastline connecting Scotland with England. There’s no better way to relax than to sit back and take in the views. With the introduction of our new seat selection tool, we are excited to remind our customers to appreciate the journey itself and to allow them the freedom to personalize their journey onboard our services with our great value fares.”
These developments follow Lumo's recent achievement of an 85% customer satisfaction score in an independent survey by the UK Customer Services Institute, the highest among UK transport operators in the annual benchmark report. It's understood this score is above some major airlines and all UK rail operators.
Lumo has helped match-fund donations to help launch Newcastle Discovery Museum's 'Tiny Tyneside' attraction. The brand-new, free play space designed especially for its youngest visitors. The interactive area encourages children to explore and play around key themes from the museum, including transport, inventions, and engineering. Children can also engage with a tactile fidget wall, build their own foam Tyne Bridge, and experiment with light and shapes on a shadow wall.