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New London to Edinburgh rail service begins

BBC Lumo at Newcastle CentralBBC
Lumo trains will travel between London and Edinburgh, calling at Stevenage, Newcastle and Morpeth

A new train operator says it wants to offer an alternative to cheap flights with a new London to Edinburgh service.

From Thursday morning, Lumo will run on the East Coast mainline and offer two services a day with fares starting from £15.

The first Lumo journey to Edinburgh Waverley left London King's Cross at 10:45 BST.

It will take about four-and-a-half hours, stopping at Newcastle and Morpeth.

The full London to Scotland route on the East Coast mainline is currently served only by the existing state-owned operator London North Eastern Railway (LNER).

Tom Walker
Artist Tom Walker performed on the inaugural Lumo journey

Travel company FirstGroup is the operator behind Lumo and says it wants to "reimagine what it means to travel by rail".

Lumo is pledging to provide all passengers with "good seats" which have "optimised leg room and larger tray tables".

The firm is hoping to increase its services to 10 from early 2022.

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On board the first train

Jon Douglas, BBC Radio 4 You and Yours reporter

Lumo's new service offers things which many rail passengers have come to expect like free Wi-Fi, but also things they might not.

Every seat has decent leg room and drop-down extendable tables with individual lights that can be switched on and off.

It's not the only touch borrowed from airlines. The drivers' announcements mimic those of pilots mentioning the weather conditions at your destination.

But it is the cheap prices that are most likely to appeal.

Lumo was granted permission to operate because it successfully argued that it would attract new passengers and not just steal them from existing rail services.

It's aiming to entice air passengers away principally from Edinburgh Airport, but from Newcastle and Luton airports too.

The first barrier for business travellers might be the fact that at launch none of Lumo's services gets into London until after 13:00, but the company says it's planning to introduce earlier services next year.

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Last month, Lumo's managing director Helen Wylde said travelling "should not cost a fortune", particularly in the current environmental climate.

"We are empowering people to make green travel choices that are genuinely affordable without compromising on comfort," she said.

Lumo said up until 1 December each trip "will cost less than £19.90 as long as it is booked at least one day before travel".

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However, tweets since posted from Lumo's Twitter account outline "up to 60% of tickets per service are under £30" and prices will vary depending on capacity.

Another tweet to a commuter said "due to the popularity of our £19.90 tickets, we have now reached capacity on most journeys".

Speaking at the launch, Ms Wylde said tickets were "selling beyond expectations".

Lumo also announced Katie Price's son, Harvey Price, will be its diversity and inclusion brand ambassador.