Open access operator Lumo has marked a major milestone in its West Coast Main Line expansion, celebrating the graduation of its first cohort of trainee drivers ahead of the launch of its new Stirling–London service.
The newly qualified Apprentice Customer Drivers have successfully completed Lumo’s intensive training programme, combining rigorous theoretical learning with practical driving experience under the guidance of the operator’s experienced driver management team.
The graduation was celebrated at Lumo’s East Coast route headquarters in Newcastle, home to its state‑of‑the‑art driver training simulator. The event was attended by Dame Chi Onwurah MP, Member of Parliament for Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West, who joined apprentices and colleagues to recognise their achievement.
The milestone comes as Lumo prepares to introduce its new open access West Coast Main Line service, which is set to launch in the coming months. The service will offer low‑cost, long‑distance rail travel, with advance fares starting from £29.90 between London Euston and Stirling.
The new route will call at Milton Keynes, Nuneaton, Crewe, Preston, Carlisle, Lockerbie, Motherwell, Whifflet, Greenfaulds and Larbert, strengthening connectivity between England and Scotland and increasing competition on one of the UK’s busiest intercity corridors.
Lumo plans to operate four daily return services between Stirling and London, alongside an additional Preston–London return service, providing further capacity and choice for passengers.
Commitment to apprenticeships and skills development
Lumo’s leadership highlighted the strategic importance of apprenticeships in supporting both growth and inclusion within the rail sector.
Lindsay Gauntlett, Head of People and Culture at Lumo, said:
“The graduation of this group of talented and dedicated apprentices is a key milestone as we prepare to launch our new West Coast route.
“Supporting people to enter the rail industry, regardless of their previous career and background, is incredibly important to us as a company. We’re proud that 95% of our team have joined through our successful apprenticeship programme, in partnership with Train’d Up.
“Thank you to Dame Chi for joining us to mark this significant moment, as the drivers now begin their route learning on the West Coast, ready to serve our customers.”
One of the newly qualified drivers, Lewis Gow, reflected on the experience and the opportunity to be part of a brand‑new operation.
He said:
“The support from Lumo throughout this process has been amazing, with the Customer Driver Managers in particular offering invaluable guidance to myself and the other apprentices.
“Being part of a brand-new service is a unique, exciting opportunity and I can’t wait to start officially welcoming our first customers onboard this Spring.
“The best part of the job for me is the views. The journey I’ll be driving between Stirling and London is stunning and the views are ever-changing with the seasons. I’m so lucky that I’ll be doing this for a living.”
Parliamentary support for rail careers in the North East
Dame Chi Onwurah MP praised Lumo’s investment in people, skills and technology, and its continued commitment to the North East.
She said:
“It was a privilege to join the graduation at Lumo’s Newcastle HQ and meet the newly qualified train drivers. These apprentices have successfully completed an intensive programme, using state-of-the-art simulation technology to prepare for the upcoming West Coast service.
“Lumo’s commitment to the North East is clear, with 95% of their team joining through their apprenticeship programme in partnership with Train’d Up. By opening up careers in rail to people from all backgrounds, Lumo is not only launching a pioneering new route but also building a vital skills base for our community in Newcastle. I look forward to seeing these drivers welcome their first passengers this spring.”
Further recruitment and strong customer satisfaction
Alongside driver recruitment, Lumo is continuing to expand its workforce, with opportunities including customer driver instructors, qualified drivers and around 50 customer experience ambassadors across the West Coast route. Preston will host one of the operator’s main assessment centres.
The expansion builds on Lumo’s strong operational performance. The operator’s existing East Coast service achieved an 89.4% overall customer satisfaction score in the latest Rail Customer Experience Report (RICXR) — significantly above the average for long‑distance operators.
Image credit: Lumo
