Lumo - new Open Access operator on the East Coast Main Line

[JonathanH]

Did they do anything to prevent those without reservations from boarding, or was the only check the usual gateline?

Only usual gateline although I think given the late boarding a manual gate was opened. The barriers to platforms 9 and 10 were closed until the train was in the platform as the 180 for a later Grand Central service was in platform 9.

Onboard ticket check underway now.

 

[Ianno87]

There were no checks at all at Edinburgh, Morpeth or Newcastle. Still some seats free from Newcastle, so Lumo's tweet was entirely unjustified fearmongering IMO.

Or just setting sensible expectation to stop even more people turning up.

 

[zero]

Did they do anything to prevent those without reservations from boarding, or was the only check the usual gateline?

I arrived at KGX 1020 and there seemed to be 100 people on the platform, also 30-40 people standing at the gates which were shut with the red X. The platform number wasn't displayed on the info screens.

I got some food and walked through an open gate at 1035, my ticket was not checked. Just (1200) had a ticket check on board.

 

[JonathanH]

Northbound and southbound trains just passed each other at Doncaster. The northbound train will come (almost) to a stop due to pathing.

 

[zero]

I heard someone (they were in discussion with Geoff Marshall) suggest that there were 300 passengers for 400 seats having counted - initially some standing but a fair number of no shows means that there were seats available. Reservation displays didn't download.

Hmm I should have guessed Geoff Marshall might be here but I didn't recognise him when I walked through.

In 2019 I sat next to him on a train to Leeds but I didn't realise it was him until later

 

[Bletchleyite]

There were no checks at all at Edinburgh, Morpeth or Newcastle. Still some seats free from Newcastle, so Lumo's tweet was entirely unjustified fearmongering IMO.

Hopefully it hasn't caused anyone to feel they had to abandon their journey and lose e.g. money on a hotel, or pay more for a LNER walk-up fare.

Or just setting sensible expectation to stop even more people turning up.

I remain of the view that selling open tickets and then saying they are in effect not open tickets is bait and switch and thus not lawful. The Tweet should not have been sent, and the situation managed a different way.

I have no issue with them setting the CR flag to prevent more non-reserved sales (practically they had to do the same as LNER otherwise they'd end up swamped), but it's what they were saying to existing purchasers of their dedicated Anytime tickets that isn't on.

 

[Ianno87]

I remain of the view that selling open tickets and then saying they are in effect not open tickets is bait and switch and thus not lawful. The Tweet should not have been sent, and the situation managed a different way.

I have no issue with them setting the CR flag to prevent more non-reserved sales (practically they had to do the same as LNER otherwise they'd end up swamped), but it's what they were saying to existing purchasers of their dedicated Anytime tickets that isn't on.

OK, but the actual fare paying passengers seem to be happy, so it's a bit moot.

 

[Royston Vasey]

Anyone on the north end of Darlington station hoping for a photo of both inaugural trains in one shot?

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/detailed/gb-nr:DLTNN/2021-10-25/1317

 

[Ianno87]

Anyone on the north end of Darlington station hoping for a photo of both inaugural trains in one shot?

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/detailed/gb-nr:DLTNN/2021-10-25/1317

No, because they actually passed at Doncaster.

 

[yorkie]

Anyone on the north end of Darlington station hoping for a photo of both inaugural trains in one shot?

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/detailed/gb-nr:DLTNN/2021-10-25/1317

They passed at Doncaster, not Darlington

 

[Darandio]

Anyone on the north end of Darlington station hoping for a photo of both inaugural trains in one shot?

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/detailed/gb-nr:DLTNN/2021-10-25/1317

That 11:14 off Edinburgh doesn't run in their current timetable.

 

[Bletchleyite]

OK, but the actual fare paying passengers seem to be happy, so it's a bit moot.

Do we know that nobody didn't travel because of the Tweet and so is sitting at home very unhappy?

 

[Mainline421]

You're not suggesting that the forum's trademark doom-mongering was....wrong...are you? Surely not! Everybody on this forum knows best, don't they?

Looks like a PR win all the way for Lumo today.

In this case it was Lumo themselves doing the "doom-mongering." I don't think anyone on this forum can be blamed this time.

 

[Ianno87]

Do we know that nobody didn't travel because of the Tweet and so is sitting at home very unhappy?

Probably pretty unlikely.

 

[Royston Vasey]

That 11:14 off Edinburgh doesn't run in their current timetable.

They passed at Doncaster, not Darlington

oh well, fair enough. Did anyone get a picture of that?

 

[DanNCL]

The two units will pass again south of Newcastle later.

 

[Darandio]

Do we know that nobody didn't travel because of the Tweet and so is sitting at home very unhappy?

I'm not sure we'll ever know. Although it does seem like the train is now only 3/4 full between London and Newcastle meaning you could argue there is potential lost revenue because of the Tweet. Whilst it wasn't the end of the world it wasn't the cleverest thing they could have done.

 

[yorkie]

You're not suggesting that the forum's trademark doom-mongering was....wrong...are you? Surely not!

The forum contains a wide range of views from a wide range of people.

There will be doom-mongers everywhere; I do not think it is proportionate to say this forum is known for doom-mongering; indeed there seem to be many more positive views expressed about Lumo than negative.

Everybody on this forum knows best, don't they?

Good luck finding many topics where everybody has the same opinion!

 

[JonathanH]

oh well, fair enough. Did anyone get a picture of that?

https://twitter.com/railcamlive/status/1452596555794419712

#Lumo Crossover

The first two
@LumoTravel
revenue earning services come so close to passing in front of our cameras...

Southbound 1E82 #Class803 803003 passes northbound 1S93 #Class803 803001 on #Doncaster camera.

@helenwylde

@paulrgentleman

@SOCOTEC_UK

 

[Darandio]

Well it was strange seeing that go around the York avoider, obviously the first scheduled in passenger service for a very long time. I imagine there are some satisfied bashers on board.

 

[zero]

York avoiding line complete

Several staff at York ROC standing on the balcony with phone cameras out

 

[JonathanH]

Well it was strange seeing that go around the York avoider, obviously the first scheduled in passenger service for a very long time. I imagine there are some satisfied bashers on board.

...and now a trip along the slow line for a few miles, presumably to Tollerton.

 

[Darandio]

...and now a trip along the slow line for a few miles, presumably to Tollerton.

Indeed, although to be fair you could have got that all the way to Thirsk at one point on an afternoon Grand Central service when it was booked to trundle along there. Not sure if it still does it now.

 

[HowardGWR]

I thought the female uniform a bit matronly. Why did they not reverse it and have the ladies in Startrek and the men in scifi prison warder?

 

[ainsworth74]

I was told last night that disaster was looming and this would be a PR disaster and that legal action might be required? And yet it appears that no such disaster has occurred and any legal action will have to wait for another day? I am extremely disappointed!


Anyway, leaving those that threw their toys out the pram for no apparent reason aside )), it does appear that day one is, so far, going without a hitch! Good on them.

 

[Bishopstone]

Happily, for the pessimists, the Okehampton branch re-opens next month, so that’s another ‘first day’ that will be a complete disaster, requiring wheelchair users to instruct their solicitors etc.

Well done to the Lumo team. Carry on like this, and my FirstGroup shares may be worth more than I paid for them in 2000.

 

[Grumpy Git]

The trains need a yellow end though................

 

[ainsworth74]

The trains need a yellow end though................

Not legally it doesn't!

 

[Grumpy Git]

Not legally it doesn't!

I know that, it just looks wrong. I also think it's form over function from a trackside safety point of view.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I know that, it just looks wrong. I also think it's form over function from a trackside safety point of view.

I think it looks a bit rubbish in the same way as the Kia e-Niro does with the body coloured "fake grille". A black end as per Hull Trains would look good, though. Continuing the blue just looks "we've done this on the cheap" - but then again perhaps that's how they actually want it to look.