A new train route has been planned between Scotland and London, which will pass through scenic UK towns. Services will run between the Scottish city of Stirling to the UK capital London – and are likely to kick off from the middle of 2026.
The train route is likely to enhance connectivity for six train stations across Scotland. The service will stop at Lockerbie in Dumfries and Galloway, Motherwell, Whifflet, and Greenfaulds in North Lanarkshire, and Larbert in the Falkirk council area. Additional stops in England will include Milton Keynes Central, Nuneaton, Crewe, Preston, and Carlisle.
Transport giant FirstGroup has announced an agreement with rolling stock company Eversholt Rail for its planned new rail route, set to depart from London Euston, reports the Scottish Daily Express.
As per the initial plan, there will be four return services a day (three on Sundays) on the full route, with an additional daily return service between Euston and Preston.
The new West Coast rail route is expected to increase competition among operators such as LNER and Avanti West Coast. FirstGroup has secured track access rights from the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) for services on the West Coast Main Line until 2030.
FirstGroup chief executive Graham Sutherland said: “The mobilisation of our new service between London and Stirling is another important step towards rolling out Lumo as a nationwide operator and growing our open access capacity, a key priority for the group.
“Our investment and capabilities in open access rail have delivered reliable, value-for-money services, grown rail demand and helped to spur economic growth and connect communities. We look forward to doing the same on our new services.”
Trains will operate under the Lumo brand, which currently runs services exclusively on the East Coast Main Line between London King’s Cross and Edinburgh.
While the West Coast services were initially set to launch this year, FirstGroup now expects operations to begin by mid-2026, following the delivery of new trains and staff training.
Under the agreement with Eversholt Rail, the company will acquire five Class 222 diesel trains, each accommodating approximately 340 standard-class passengers.
