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This short article caught my attention.


https://www.insider.com/high-speed-train-journey-london-glasgow-scotland-review-2022-7

I took a high-speed electric train from England to Scotland, and I still can't believe the 400-mile journey cost just $64

I'm no expert on UK train travel but I've done it twice. London to Carlisle and Manchester to Carlisle. The first trip, from London, was in first class on a Virgin train. That I would recommend. It was comfortable and spacious enough for the length of the trip. The second was in economy class, and that was a joke. The train was already packed by the time my friend and I got on board. We had arrived from the States a few hours prior and had all our luggage with us. We had to stuff our roller boards between our legs as the little overhead shelves would not accommodate them. The train was full of backpackers headed to the north of Scotland, so it was a very crowded coach. Fortunately, Manchester to Carlisle isn't that long of a ride but from London, that would have been terrible.

Best way to describe it was basic economy, with the perks of basic economy cut out! I've been on Greyhound and Trailways's busses that offered more room and comfort. It was loud, became hot, and cramped as all hell. I forget what I paid but I remember thinking it wasn't worth it.

The writer doesn't say what time she left but for that price, I'd be willing to bet it was off peak. Since this is a new service maybe not, those of you familiar with UK train service can set me straight.

I'd take the train again, but definitely book first class if you want an enjoyable ride.

So this was Lumo, a 'new' operator on the East Coast (new in the sense new trains, services, staff, but 'new' in the sense they're backed by First Group who already run trains). They're doing things a bit differently to the other operators, and aiming at taking shares from the airlines as well as the established operators.

They don't have a first class, and their ticketing is based on yield management, similar to a low cost airline. They seem to be doing pretty well considering the competition - and launching at a time when the travel market was depressed following Covid

I remember Virgin Trains' 9-car Pendolino sets having 4 coaches of First Class and 5 of Standard, except the shop took up half a Standard coach - a bloody ridiculous ratio. It did mean that First was lovely and quiet, but also that Standard could be a zoo. I always, always took the Weekend First upgrade, £15 to get out of that madness was a bargain.

Virgin Trains have long since been consigned to history, and the replacement outfit Avanti seem to be making a right pig's ear of it. As I understand it, they're struggling to run even a quarter of the trains they're supposed to be, and can't even tell you on the day which trains those will be. I wouldn't be at all surprised if this franchise gets re-nationalised soon.

I hate these new Class 800s with a passion. Then again, I haven't tried First Class with any operator yet. But Standard is misery. And on GWR at least, the corner "seats" have a corner sticking out of the wall that seems designed specifically to smash your elbow.

For me, flying London-Edinburgh is pretty much a no-brainer due to the fact that I'm probably starting at Heathrow anyway - the airport-city transfer time counts against the train, rather than for it. BA flights count towards my Finnair status, trains don't. And in these crazy times where neither the airlines nor the railways seem capable of running what they've sold, EU261 compensation would definitely swing the argument in the plane's favour, although the UK, being the UK, seems to be scrapping that. (BA bosses went to the same private schools as the Cabinet? Surely not...)

I love traveling by train, it's very atmospheric and cool. Especially late from London to Edinburgh passes on a very beautiful road.