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

[800001]

So, just spoke to someone who has dome both directions today on Lumo.
Edinburgh, Newcastle and Kings Cross driver closes the doors and departs using cameras.
Driver made several announcements that doors were about to be closed for departure.
No platform staff involved, and Ambassadors neither, as they were assisting customers in the carriage.

 

[Starmill]

Lumo can run with two or three ambassadors.

Two or three may be rostered. Presumably they could also run with one though?

It's quite a clever way to do it too, because a pair of units doesn't increase staff costs, as it has done at GWR and LNER if they wish to offer catering in both portions.

 

[Bald Rick]

Likely a busybody or other high-up trying to be helpful.

Likely not, as lumo is notable in having very, very few ‘high ups’.

 

[DanNCL]

Two or three may be rostered. Presumably they could also run with one though?

It's quite a clever way to do it too, because a pair of units doesn't increase staff costs, as it has done at GWR and LNER if they wish to offer catering in both portions.

I believe they can run with one if needed, but there’ll always be two or three rostered.

 

[pdeaves]

Likely not, as lumo is notable in having very, very few ‘high ups’.

Though on launch day, such as there are could well be out and about.

 

[centro-323]

Though on launch day, such as there are could well be out and about.

Yep, and most are based in Newcastle

 

[Bald Rick]

Though on launch day, such as there are could well be out and about.

I would have expected them to be on the trains, meeting punters. Or at Kings Cross or Edinburgh. Not Morpeth.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Likely not, as lumo is notable in having very, very few ‘high ups’.

Indeed, I’m sure most of them have only just been hired!

 

[kev1974]

I saw the 10:45 leave KGX this morning (Tuesday). Two backpack laden passengers arrived on the platform at exactly 10:45, when the yellow door lights had already gone out. However the doors were opened back up for them and they got on at the rear most door, and it pulled out shortly before 10:48.





A few minutes earlier, a member of staff takes a photo of the boarding throng on his ipad.

 

[Northern_guard]

I didn't believe Lumo trains had guards?

They don't.

They're well liked by the other TOC's for this

 

[LowLevel]

I saw the 10:45 leave KGX this morning (Tuesday). Two backpack laden passengers arrived on the platform at exactly 10:45, when the yellow door lights had already gone out. However the doors were opened back up for them and they got on at the rear most door, and it pulled out shortly before 10:48.

View attachment 104681



A few minutes earlier, a member of staff takes a photo of the boarding throng on his ipad.

View attachment 104682

Probably the fastest way to sort it out, given the "Customer Driver" can't shout to move away from the train inside the cab and the lemmings will undoubtedly just keep hammering the unlit button. I am sure at busy Intercity stations there will be plenty of this without any platform staff.

 

[g492p]

Probably the fastest way to sort it out, given the "Customer Driver" can't shout to move away from the train inside the cab and the lemmings will undoubtedly just keep hammering the unlit button. I am sure at busy Intercity stations there will be plenty of this without any platform staff.

Most definitely. Maybe with their current paths they don’t see departing late as a problem. Seems odd to me to have spent money training a fully dispatch competent member of crew and not use them to ensure a right time departure. Unless the crew have yet to be trained fully in dispatch ect.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Probably the fastest way to sort it out, given the "Customer Driver" can't shout to move away from the train inside the cab and the lemmings will undoubtedly just keep hammering the unlit button. I am sure at busy Intercity stations there will be plenty of this without any platform staff.

One thing notable about German (DOO) U- and S-Bahn trains is that they have speakers on the outside so the driver can do exactly that. Makes a lot of sense.

 

[John R]

The service was as much as 7 mins early half way up the route, and there was nothing scheduled to follow hard on its heels north of Kings Cross, so I can see why the decision was made. Whether the driver had that in mind we can't tell though. If another train was due out just 3 minutes behind him then the implications of a 2 minute delay are somewhat greater. (And the path over Welwyn Viaduct is another consideration, which I doubt the driver would have been aware of.)

 

[deltic]

inews had a negative story about Lumo selling tickets for £69 despite pledging every single seat before Dec 1 would be £19.99 and when they looked at prices for Friday 1 April all tickets were also for £69, higher than LNER tickets on the same day. Full story can be seen at https://inews.co.uk/news/lumo-tickets-prices-trains-london-to-edinburgh-booking-seats-1261487

On the “every single seat” for £19.90 offer, a Lumo spokesperson said: “Where these seats are not available, it is because they have sold out.

“The term ‘sold out’ refers to when we reach 90 per cent capacity on our trains. We have to leave room for people with anytime, any route tickets as well as last minute travellers.”

 

[Bletchleyite]

inews had a negative story about Lumo selling tickets for £69 despite pledging every single seat before Dec 1 would be £19.99 and when they looked at prices for Friday 1 April all tickets were also for £69, higher than LNER tickets on the same day. Full story can be seen at https://inews.co.uk/news/lumo-tickets-prices-trains-london-to-edinburgh-booking-seats-1261487

It appears that this has come up because they hadn't set the compulsory reservation flag - without it, retailers will by default sell the walk-up fares without a reservation once the Advances (£19.whatever) had all gone. They explain it in their response, and because they have now set the flag it shouldn't happen any more.

 

[John R]

It appears that this has come up because they hadn't set the compulsory reservation flag - without it, retailers will by default sell the walk-up fares without a reservation once the Advances (£19.whatever) had all gone. They explain it in their response, and because they have now set the flag it shouldn't happen any more.

Still showing 69 single on 1st April, compared with 44 for LNER. Probably teething problems, but really should do better.

 

[CyrusWuff]

Still showing 69 single on 1st April, compared with 44 for LNER. Probably teething problems, but really should do better.

Lumo haven't opened reservations that far in advance yet, given the target is still 12 weeks ahead. As such, the Anytime fare is the only one that can be offered, and won't come with a reservation.

Having just had a quick look, they're currently booking up to Wednesday 19th January, with Kings Cross to Edinburgh at £24.90 on the 1045, but the full £69 on the 1218.

 

[Djminisite06]

Still showing 69 single on 1st April, compared with 44 for LNER. Probably teething problems, but really should do better.

Surely 1st April is outside the 12-week advance ticket window though? Hence they will only show open tickets till the 12-week mark when the timetables are confirmed

 

[tornado]

Why were Ambassadors travelling on LUMO, was there an international incident?

 

[DanNCL]

Why were Ambassadors travelling on LUMO, was there an international incident?

Lumo refer to their onboard customer service staff as “customer ambassadors”, so this is what is being referred to here.

 

[ainsworth74]

Surely 1st April is outside the 12-week advance ticket window though? Hence they will only show open tickets till the 12-week mark when the timetables are confirmed

Indeed. The same has happened before with TOCs. Flexible tickets being bookable far ahead of APs going on sale meaning that when they do some people have overpaid. Sometimes dramatically!

 

[Retorus]

Lumo refer to their onboard customer service staff as “customer ambassadors”, so this is what is being referred to here.

I'm fairly certain it was an attempted joke.

 

[swt_passenger]

Surely 1st April is outside the 12-week advance ticket window though? Hence they will only show open tickets till the 12-week mark when the timetables are confirmed

But that wouldn’t worry a news outlet intending to push a bad news story. They could run the same story about any TOC if they check next April 1, as you say.

It does raise the question why the Lumo spokesman didn’t flag this up though…

 

[Grumpy Git]

Lumo refer to their onboard customer service staff as “customer ambassadors”, so this is what is being referred to here.

More semantics.

I wonder how much a consultant got paid for calling a passenger assistant a "customer ambassador". This kind of bull**** makes me weep.

 

[Bletchleyite]

More semantics.

I wonder how much a consultant got paid for calling a passenger assistant a "customer ambassador". This kind of bull**** makes me weep.

"Customer drivers" is worse.

Personally I'd have called them stewards (in the principles of equality, probably used "stewards" for the female ones too). They're not guards, and frankly "OBS" (as GTR use for a similar role) sounds rubbish.

 

[Ianno87]

More semantics.

I wonder how much a consultant got paid for calling a passenger assistant a "customer ambassador". This kind of bull**** makes me weep.

What's wrong with it? It describes what they do, doesn't it? Ultimately, they are employed for the benefit of customers.

 

[centro-323]

But that wouldn’t worry a news outlet intending to push a bad news story...

The same news outlet were the ones who ran an article full of comments from passengers praising the new service, but went with the headline 'passengers left behind', due to three latecomers missing the train

 

[Bletchleyite]

What's wrong with it? It describes what they do, doesn't it? Ultimately, they are employed for the benefit of customers.

I think "ambassador" is just a bit over the top myself, and bordering on marketing bovine faeces, to be honest. "Customer steward" or "customer host" would to me work a bit better.

 

[Spartacus]

What's wrong with it? It describes what they do, doesn't it? Ultimately, they are employed for the benefit of customers.

The trouble is companies call people who do pretty much the same job, or sometimes identical ones, different names, and vice versa. For instance you can have three Train Managers speaking to each other who have three very different on train jobs, Driver, Guard and Senior Steward (as I can't think of any better description right now). It can, and sometimes does, lead to confusion during incidents of just what role that person has and how senior they might be, adding another one's just an unnecessary complication. I'd have job descriptions in any on train role standardised, with any variations having to be approved.