Published 09 Apr 2026
Ahead of the Spring launch of its pioneering new open access service on the West Coast Main Line, Lumo is celebrating the graduation of its first trainee drivers for the route.
The Apprentice Customer Drivers are now officially qualified after successfully completing an extensive training programme, which included both practical and theoretical elements, with the recruits learning from the experienced Lumo team.
Dame Chi Onwurah MP, Member of Parliament for Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West, joined the apprentices to celebrate their graduation at Lumo’s East Coast route HQ in Newcastle – home to the company’s state-of-the-art training simulator.
Lumo’s new West Coast service is set to launch in the coming months, offering big savings for customers on the popular route, with tickets starting from just £29.90 between London Euston and Stirling. The service will also call at Milton Keynes, Nuneaton, Crewe, Preston, Carlisle, Lockerbie, Motherwell, Whifflet, Greenfaulds and Larbert.
Lindsay Gauntlett, Head of People and Culture at Lumo, said: “The graduation of this group of talented and dedicated apprentices is a key milestone as we prepare to launch our new West Coast route.
“Supporting people to enter the rail industry, regardless of their previous career and background, is incredibly important to us as a company. We’re proud that 95% of our team have joined through our successful apprenticeship programme, in partnership with Train’d Up.
“Thank you to Dame Chi for joining us to mark this significant moment, as the drivers now begin their route learning on the West Coast, ready to serve our customers.”
Lewis Gow, one of the apprentices who has now successfully qualified as a Customer Driver, said: “The support from Lumo throughout this process has been amazing, with the Customer Driver Managers in particular offering invaluable guidance to myself and the other apprentices.
“Being part of a brand-new service is a unique, exciting opportunity and I can’t wait to start officially welcoming our first customers onboard this Spring.
“The best part of the job for me is the views. The journey I’ll be driving between Stirling and London is stunning and the views are ever-changing with the seasons. I’m so lucky that I’ll be doing this for a living.”
Dame Chi Onwurah MP, Member of Parliament for Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West, said: “It was a privilege to join the graduation at Lumo’s Newcastle HQ and meet the newly qualified train drivers. These apprentices have successfully completed an intensive programme, using state-of-the-art simulation technology to prepare for the upcoming West Coast service.
“Lumo’s commitment to the North East is clear, with 95% of their team joining through their apprenticeship programme in partnership with Train’d Up. By opening up careers in rail to people from all backgrounds, Lumo is not only launching a pioneering new route but also building a vital skills base for our community in Newcastle. I look forward to seeing these drivers welcome their first passengers this spring.”
Further recruitment includes customer driver instructors, qualified drivers and around 50 customer experience ambassadors across the route, with Preston hosting one of the main assessment centres.
Lumo plans to operate four daily return services between Stirling and London, plus an additional Preston–London return service. You can find out more details about the new route here.
The company regularly secures industry leading customer satisfaction levels. Lumo’s existing East Coast service scored significantly higher than the average achieved by other long-distance operators with an 89.4% overall customer satisfaction rating in the latest Rail Customer Experience Report (RICXR).
The Apprentice Customer Drivers are now officially qualified after successfully completing an extensive training programme, which included both practical and theoretical elements, with the recruits learning from the experienced Lumo team.
Dame Chi Onwurah MP, Member of Parliament for Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West, joined the apprentices to celebrate their graduation at Lumo’s East Coast route HQ in Newcastle – home to the company’s state-of-the-art training simulator.
Lumo’s new West Coast service is set to launch in the coming months, offering big savings for customers on the popular route, with tickets starting from just £29.90 between London Euston and Stirling. The service will also call at Milton Keynes, Nuneaton, Crewe, Preston, Carlisle, Lockerbie, Motherwell, Whifflet, Greenfaulds and Larbert.
Lindsay Gauntlett, Head of People and Culture at Lumo, said: “The graduation of this group of talented and dedicated apprentices is a key milestone as we prepare to launch our new West Coast route.
“Supporting people to enter the rail industry, regardless of their previous career and background, is incredibly important to us as a company. We’re proud that 95% of our team have joined through our successful apprenticeship programme, in partnership with Train’d Up.
“Thank you to Dame Chi for joining us to mark this significant moment, as the drivers now begin their route learning on the West Coast, ready to serve our customers.”
Lewis Gow, one of the apprentices who has now successfully qualified as a Customer Driver, said: “The support from Lumo throughout this process has been amazing, with the Customer Driver Managers in particular offering invaluable guidance to myself and the other apprentices.
“Being part of a brand-new service is a unique, exciting opportunity and I can’t wait to start officially welcoming our first customers onboard this Spring.
“The best part of the job for me is the views. The journey I’ll be driving between Stirling and London is stunning and the views are ever-changing with the seasons. I’m so lucky that I’ll be doing this for a living.”
Dame Chi Onwurah MP, Member of Parliament for Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West, said: “It was a privilege to join the graduation at Lumo’s Newcastle HQ and meet the newly qualified train drivers. These apprentices have successfully completed an intensive programme, using state-of-the-art simulation technology to prepare for the upcoming West Coast service.
“Lumo’s commitment to the North East is clear, with 95% of their team joining through their apprenticeship programme in partnership with Train’d Up. By opening up careers in rail to people from all backgrounds, Lumo is not only launching a pioneering new route but also building a vital skills base for our community in Newcastle. I look forward to seeing these drivers welcome their first passengers this spring.”
Further recruitment includes customer driver instructors, qualified drivers and around 50 customer experience ambassadors across the route, with Preston hosting one of the main assessment centres.
Lumo plans to operate four daily return services between Stirling and London, plus an additional Preston–London return service. You can find out more details about the new route here.
The company regularly secures industry leading customer satisfaction levels. Lumo’s existing East Coast service scored significantly higher than the average achieved by other long-distance operators with an 89.4% overall customer satisfaction rating in the latest Rail Customer Experience Report (RICXR).
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