FirstGroup to expand open access rail services with new routes

LONDON - FirstGroup plc (LSE:FGP.L) has secured extensions to its Hull Trains and Lumo open access rail services from the Office of Rail and Road, the company announced Tuesday.

Beginning December 2025, Lumo will extend service to Glasgow Queen Street with stops at Falkirk High and Edinburgh Haymarket. The expansion includes one southbound service between Edinburgh and Glasgow on weekdays and one extension in each direction on Sundays.

The rail operator will also add one additional daily return service between Newcastle and London on the Lumo line, and one additional Hull Trains service between London and Hull on weekdays and Saturdays.

These additions will increase FirstGroup’s open access capacity by approximately 118 million seat miles, representing about a 12% increase to its existing 967 million seat miles. The Glasgow service will add 19 million seat miles, while the additional Lumo and Hull Trains services will contribute 76 million and 23 million seat miles respectively.

When combined with previously announced new services to Stirling and Carmarthen, expected to launch in mid-2026 and December 2027, FirstGroup will more than double its current open access capacity.

The company expressed disappointment that its application for a new Hull Trains service between London and Sheffield was not approved. FirstGroup noted this proposed route would have provided Sheffield with its first regular service from London King’s Cross since 1968.

FirstGroup is one of the UK’s largest transport operators, carrying approximately 2 million passengers daily across its bus and rail services. The company reported £5.1 billion in revenue for fiscal year 2025 and employs around 30,000 people.

The information is based on a press release statement from FirstGroup.

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