The North must go further and faster on rail connectivity. Expanding open access can unlock the region’s full potential, says Lumo and Hull Trains managing director Stuart Jones

 
When Hull Trains launched in 2000, there was just one direct train a day between Hull and London

 
When I think about the North’s future – greener, fairer, more connected – I think about trains. Not because rail solves everything, but because when it’s done well, it becomes far more than a mode of transport. It’s a catalyst for skills, innovation, culture and opportunity.

As managing director of First Rail Open Access, which includes Lumo and Hull Trains, I’ve seen how innovation in transport can drive real social, economic and environmental change. Both operators tell a very Northern story of innovation and ingenuity – and they do it without subsidy.

When Hull Trains launched in 2000, there was just one direct train a day between Hull and London. Today, we run an additional seven weekday services, linking East Yorkshire with Doncaster, Grantham, Selby and the capital. That increase in capacity has helped transform a region that had been underserved for decades. Hull Trains now employs more than 100 people, most from Hull and the wider area, and is estimated to be worth around £200m a year to the local economy through salaries and supply chains. Improved connectivity has even been credited as a factor in Hull securing its year as UK City of Culture – proof that rail can be a driver of creativity as well as commerce.

The way we do it matters as much as the numbers. At Hull Trains, more than 55% of our team are women, with 29% of our drivers female – one of the highest ratios anywhere on the network. In a sector still catching up on diversity, we’re proud to be leading the way.

Lumo, our newer all-electric service between London and Edinburgh via Newcastle, tells a complementary story. Launched in 2021 to make low-carbon travel the easy choice, a Lumo journey emits 95% less CO2 than flying, and in the past year alone saved over 60,000 tonnes of emissions – the equivalent of taking thousands of cars off the road.

Both stories show how open access rail can deliver not just for passengers, but for the planet and the places we serve too. We pay our way, grow the market and move passengers to greener modes of transport – all without drawing on the public purse. Together, Lumo and Hull Trains have delivered £500m of investment in new Northern-built trains, supporting skilled jobs at the Hitachi factory in County Durham and championing Northern manufacturing. We’re among the top performing operators on the network with above 85% customer satisfaction.

If we’re serious about levelling up, we need to back what works

Innovation also extends to the skills and education being provided. At Lumo and Hull Trains, we’ve created career pathways that simply didn’t exist before – from customer ambassador to driver. More than 75% of Lumo’s staff have come through our apprenticeship scheme, and we’ve trained more female drivers than many larger operators. Many of our recruits joined from aviation when airlines closed during Covid, proving that new industries can create new chances when they open their doors wider.

Looking ahead, connectivity remains key. The North’s growth will depend on making travel easier, greener and more inclusive – linking people to jobs, education and culture. To achieve that, we need to go further and faster – expanding the successful open access models that have already shown they can grow demand, cut emissions and boost local economies without subsidy.

Crucially, this is about joining up the North, not just connecting it to London. Services like Lumo and Hull Trains help ensure that a range of cities are connected to each other, to opportunity and to a wider story of collaboration and blossoming confidence across the North. If we’re serious about levelling up, we need to back what works. We need to back ourselves.

Lumo and Hull Trains have proved that rail can be reliable, inclusive and green – all at once. They show that when you give people choice, you don’t just move passengers; you move potential – and that’s what the Great Northern story is all about.

 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Stuart Jones is managing director at First Rail Open Access, which includes Lumo, Hull Trains, as well as First Rail Stirling and First Rail Wales and Western.

 
This story appears inside the latest issue of Passenger Transport.

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