Lumo‘s trains have been recognised as the UK’s most reliable train fleet.
The fleet of trains known as the 803 class comprises just five trains, numbered 803001 – 803005, with each train formed of five coaches.
Built at Hitachi Rail’s Newton Aycliffe manufacturing facility, the trains started operation in October 2021.
Running on overhead power, the trains are fully electric and have been earning their keep by offering fast direct services on the East Coast Main Line between London and Edinburgh, along with serving northeast England’s major cities.
Lumo’s efforts have not gone unnoticed by the public or the railway industry, the Tyneside based train operator has won many awards in its 3 years of operation.
Lumo has won the Greenest Innovation Business of the Year, while their trains have helped them secure the Best Business at Reducing Carbon Emissions award.
The awards keep coming, Lumo received the ‘Best Overall Operator’ at the World Passenger Awards in 2023, and still has a high customer satisfaction rate of 96%.
Working collaboratively between them and Hitachi’s maintenance teams, Lumo has ensured that their trains have continued running on time and are in the right places when they are needed.
After all of this, the 803 fleet has won the reliability award at the Modern Railway’s Golden Spanner awards for their constant reliable service over the last year, with Hitachi Rail’s maintenance team winning the reliability award for the third consecutive year.
“This Golden Spanner award is a real reflection of the exceptional efforts of our team and those of our partners at Hitachi. It highlights the strides we’ve made in setting new standards for reliability while pioneering sustainability goals to make rail even cleaner, greener and truly customer focused.
“Our focus remains on providing a dependable, eco-friendly service that meets the evolving needs of customers, and this prestigious recognition reinforces the value of the Lumo approach.”
Martijn Gilbert, Managing Director of Lumo
Responses
Lumo could of ordered few more Class 803s and to run them as 2 5-Car (10-Car) from London King’s Cross to Edinburgh Waverley. Same with Hull Trains who could of ordered few more Class 802 Paragon.
They run on time because they have too much running time.
It’s very hard for them to be late
On board their trains have almost no leg room.
They are cheap operator for those who want a cheap service in cramped conditions.
I’ve been looking at their bookings and they don’t get exactly challenging paths
Given their limit stops they should be completing their journeys at least 20 minutes more quickly.
Which is why they aren’t late that often
They aren’t the only operator with grossly inflated paths.
Cross country could easily knock 2 hours from their Plymouth to Edinburgh runs.
We live in the age of unimaginative timetabling with zero innovation.
CrossCountry don’t run with enough room, often run late due to the number of passengers. They need extra carrier
I don’t think train planning is as simple as you are implying. There are any number of bottle necks on the network and it is often these that dictate the timings of a train, no matter how quickly it might run over the rest of its journey.
Will Lumo one day stop at York station whilst operating a fast service from London King’s Cross to Newcastle and Edinburgh Waverley.