Overview

• The Office of Rail and Road has granted track access for the London–Stirling route on the West Coast Main Line until 2030
• FirstGroup’s Lumo brand has leased five six-car Class 222 diesel trains from Eversholt Rail, each seating about 340 standard-class passengers
• The service will operate four daily return trips between London Euston and Stirling (three on Sundays) and an additional return between Euston and Preston
• Stops include Greenfaulds, Whifflet and Larbert—stations without prior direct London links—alongside Milton Keynes Central, Nuneaton, Crewe, Preston, Carlisle, Lockerbie and Motherwell Labour’s renationalisation programme has prompted Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander to warn of potential network congestion and maintenance cost shortfalls for open access operators