Lumo is "Sold Out"

[BluePenguin]

I need to travel on the 14:48 Lumo service from Kings Cross tomorrow afternoon.

Trainline will show the service on the journey planner as sold out. All other websites I have tried do not list it at all. I am aware that a reservation is not compulsory. How can I buy a walk up ticket to travel on this train please?

My local station does not have an option to buy a ticket from another station and only offers expensive Any Permitted singles and returns

 

[Kite159]

Have you tried buying a walk up fare for another Lumo service tomorrow which has seat availability then throwing away that reservation?

 

[BluePenguin]

Have you tried buying a walk up fare for another Lumo service tomorrow which has seat availability then throwing away that reservation?

Yes, but no websites will offer one. Only an advance single is offered for the 20:27 tomorrow. I just tried the Southern website and it shows crossed next to Anytime.

 

[Watershed]

Lumo services are marked as "reservations compulsory" in the timetable data.

Thus online booking engines will only sell a Lumo-only ticket if there is a reservation left for at least one of their services on the day in question. And it would appear that Lumo are limiting, if not barring, the availability of reservations for walk-up tickets.

I don't imagine the "reservations compulsory" flag is being enforced in practice (how would it be?).

 

[BluePenguin]

Lumo services are marked as "reservations compulsory" in the timetable data.

Thus online booking engines will only sell a Lumo-only ticket if there is a reservation left for at least one of their services on the day in question. And it would appear that Lumo are limiting, if not barring, the availability of reservations for walk-up tickets.

I don't imagine the "reservations compulsory" flag is being enforced in practice (how would it be?).

I thought that was the case.

There seems to be seats available for the 20:27 but not the 14:18. I cannot click on the 20:27 and buy a non advance ticket though.

What would happen if I simply got on the train and asked to buy a ticket? I need to be on this service as the later Lumo arrives arrives at 23:04

 

[Kite159]

Trainsplit will sell me a Lumo only anytime single for the early morning train from London. As it's an anytime single it should be valid on the afternoon service. Although you might end up sitting in the vestibule if the train is overcrowded (unless you get one of the very few unreserved seats)

 

[BluePenguin]

Trainsplit will sell me a Lumo only anytime single for the early morning train from London. As it's an anytime single it should be valid on the afternoon service. Although you might end up sitting in the vestibule if the train is overcrowded (unless you get one of the very few unreserved seats)

Thank you! That is very helpful of you. I have successfully bought an Anytime Single for tomorrow morning. I do not mind sitting on the floor. so long as I get there I will be fine. Getting a seat on an intercity train these days is never expected but a positive bonus and a blessing. I am used to it lol

 

[Flying Snail]

Presumably they aren't flagging the service as full for their own amusement so with the prospect of having to stand or even being asked to leave if you don't have a ticket it seems like the 14.30 or 15.00 LNER might be a better option, no idea what need to be on the Lumo service is about though.

 

[Watershed]

I thought that was the case.

There seems to be seats available for the 20:27 but not the 14:18. I cannot click on the 20:27 and buy a non advance ticket though.

What would happen if I simply got on the train and asked to buy a ticket? I need to be on this service as the later Lumo arrives arrives at 23:04

Lumo do operate a 'buy onboard' policy (including offering Railcard discounts) so there would be no penalty for doing so. But there is the risk (albeit I would imagine it to be small) that you could be denied boarding without a reservation.

Presumably they aren't flagging the service as full for their own amusement so with the prospect of having to stand or even being asked to leave if you don't have a ticket it seems like the 14.30 or 15.00 LNER might be a better option, no idea what need to be on the Lumo service is about though.

Lumo are considerably cheaper than LNER in most cases.

Even with LNER's Single Leg Pricing trial, London to Newcastle is £59 for an Anytime Single on Lumo vs £79.10 for a Super Off-Peak Single on LNER, or £172 for an Anytime Single if you need to depart KGX before 09:06 or between 15:00-18:58.

 

[DanNCL]

Thank you! That is very helpful of you. I have successfully bought an Anytime Single for tomorrow morning. I do not mind sitting on the floor. so long as I get there I will be fine. Getting a seat on an intercity train these days is never expected but a positive bonus and a blessing. I am used to it lol

Unreserved seats are most commonly found at the Edinburgh end of the train.

 

[Haywain]

Well, today's Lumo services from Kings Cross haven't done too well - the 0545 and 1045 were cancelled and the 1448 left at 1545. The 1051 and 1347 arrivals were also cancelled.

 

[BluePenguin]

Presumably they aren't flagging the service as full for their own amusement so with the prospect of having to stand or even being asked to leave if you don't have a ticket it seems like the 14.30 or 15.00 LNER might be a better option, no idea what need to be on the Lumo service is about though.

Lumo do operate a 'buy onboard' policy (including offering Railcard discounts) so there would be no penalty for doing so. But there is the risk (albeit I would imagine it to be small) that you could be denied boarding without a reservation.


Lumo are considerably cheaper than LNER in most cases.

Even with LNER's Single Leg Pricing trial, London to Newcastle is £59 for an Anytime Single on Lumo vs £79.10 for a Super Off-Peak Single on LNER, or £172 for an Anytime Single if you need to depart KGX before 09:06 or between 15:00-18:58.

In my neck of the woods we do not have seat reservations and until a few years ago did not have advance tickets on offer either.

Turning up to crush loaded train has always been the norm, at weekends especially. Even if the Lumo train is expected to be busy, they should not deny the right to stand to people who want to. Southern and Southeastern for example are more than happy for people to stand - Northern are too!

LNER are are much nicer although unfortunately do charge more. Time is money these days. It just so happens that Lumo offer a train that is more suitable to me than LNER tomorrow.

Well, today's Lumo services from Kings Cross haven't done too well - the 0545 and 1045 were cancelled and the 1448 left at 1545. The 1051 and 1347 arrivals were also cancelled.

I will report tomorrow whether or not I ever make it to Newcastle lol

 

[centro-323]

Unreserved seats are most commonly found at the Edinburgh end of the train.

More recently this is not the case. Unreserved seats can be scattered across the train, or if it's otherwise fully booked, then the unreserved seats will be the windowless ones in the carriage ends.

 

[DanNCL]

More recently this is not the case. Unreserved seats can be scattered across the train, or if it's otherwise fully booked, then the unreserved seats will be the windowless ones in the carriage ends.

There aren’t always loads of unreserved seats in that carriage but it’s usually the best bet as it’s the last to be reserved when people accept the reservations allocated to them.

 

[Davester50]

Even if the Lumo train is expected to be busy, they should not deny the right to stand to people who want to.

Well, that's their choice as an open access operator to deny who or what they like to be honest!
Nothing worse than having a stranger's posterior in close proximity to one's face on a full train, unless you're in to that kind of thing anyway

 

[The Middle]

Well, today's Lumo services from Kings Cross haven't done too well - the 0545 and 1045 were cancelled and the 1448 left at 1545. The 1051 and 1347 arrivals were also cancelled.

Not really fair to single out Lumo when the entire East Coast was affected by the cable theft this morning

 

[Haywain]

Not really fair to single out Lumo when the entire East Coast was affected by the cable theft this morning

Only commenting on what happened, because they are the train company the thread concerns. It would be odd to mention another company’s trains in this thread.

 

[Twingo37175]

Only commenting on what happened, because they are the train company the thread concerns. It would be odd to mention another company’s trains in this thread.

To be fair to Lumo, looks like they only ran the northern section this morning and no doubt worked with LNER on ticket acceptance. Compares to grand Central who were on twitter advising people to St Pancras, or from St Pancras meaning for Sunderland passengers they would have been better waiting for the next service

 

[The Middle]

Only commenting on what happened, because they are the train company the thread concerns. It would be odd to mention another company’s trains in this thread.

I would argue it's far stranger to post about the cancellations without providing any context

 

[BluePenguin]

I would argue it's far stranger to post about the cancellations without providing any context

I agree, do todays cancellations have any bearing on my journey tomorrow or the ability to buy a ticket?