Electrified Route, Diesel Trains: The Awkward Truth Behind Lumo’s Euston–Stirling Launch

Lumo has carefully cultivated a reputation as a fully electric, low-carbon operator, a message closely tied to its existing services worked by electric rolling stock. That branding makes its forthcoming London Euston to Stirling service appear contradictory, as it will launch using diesel-powered Class 222 trains. With the route itself entirely electrified, the decision has raised questions about whether Lumo’s green credentials are being compromised, or whether other, less visible factors are at play behind the scenes.

The key point is that the infrastructure is not the problem. The West Coast Main Line from London Euston to Stirling is electrified throughout, meaning there is no operational need for diesel traction on any part of the journey. Unlike other long-distance services that stray beyond the wires, Lumo’s new route could theoretically be worked end to end by electric trains. That makes the use of Class 222s a matter of choice rather than necessity, and shifts attention firmly towards the state of the rolling stock market.

Lumo’s difficulty is simple but significant: there are no suitable electric trains available for lease in the timeframe required to launch the service. Britain’s electric rolling stock market is tight, with most modern units already allocated to existing operators and new-build trains subject to lengthy procurement and approval processes. Lumo’s current electric fleet is fully committed elsewhere, and ordering additional units would take several years. For an open-access operator, delaying a launch risks losing access rights, train paths, and commercial momentum, making a wait for new electric trains a potentially existential gamble.

The Class 222s therefore represent a pragmatic, if uncomfortable, interim solution. They are capable of high-speed operation, available in the short term, and allow Lumo to begin running while longer-term plans are developed. Crucially, the operator has indicated that the diesel trains are not intended to be a permanent fixture, with replacement by electric traction planned when suitable stock becomes available. The episode highlights a deeper contradiction in Britain’s railway decarbonisation agenda: even where electrification exists and operators want to run electric services, the lack of accessible rolling stock can still force compromises that undermine environmental ambitions.