‘Ryanair of trains’ launches new London to Scotland route — with tickets less than £50

Travelling from one end of the UK to another by train often costs more than return flights to Europe.

But thanks to a budget-friendly rail company, Lumo, getting from London to Glasgow has never been cheaper.

Lumo has been dubbed the ‘Ryanair of trains’, having been compared to low-budget airlines including the Irish carrier and Easyjet, due to its cheaper tickets, baggage limits and lack of first class.

The all-electric company already runs a direct line between Edinburgh and the English capital, with one-way tickets costing as little as £49 if you book in advance. With a railcard, it can be even cheaper.

Currently, the only direct rail service between London King’s Cross and Glasgow is via Avanti’s West Coast line. An off-peak single ticket can set you back as much as £133. Peak times can jump to £208.

The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) approved the extension of Lumo’s existing service, which will see Glasgow Queen Street added to the London to Edinburgh route.

They also gave the green light to the company’s other Hull and Newcastle routes.

The expansion will mean more sustainable travel opportunities linking Scotland and England, supporting the Scottish Chamber of Commerce’s call for partnership, innovation, and growth.

Richard Salkeld, head of communications and partnerships at Lumo, told Metro that the majority of its customers are travellers who want to get from London to Glasgow, or vice versa, but can’t afford extortionate rail prices.

‘Lumo is an open-access operator, which means we take full commercial risk for running the services. We don’t get government or public subsidiary — we take on the risk and have to be confident that we can make it work, all while complementing the existing services that already run.

‘Glasgow is somewhere we’re looking forward to serving, and we’re confident we can make it as successful as our London to Edinburgh route.’

How often will the London King’s Cross to Glasgow service run?

On weekdays, there will be two northbound services and one southbound service between London King’s Cross and Glasgow Queen Street.

On Sundays, there will be one in each direction.

The journey will take a little longer than Avanti’s 4 hours and 51 minutes. (The London to Edinburgh journey time is between 4 hours 22 minutes and 5 hours.)

But for budget travellers, the extra time on the train enjoying the views is likely worth it.

Stephanie Tobyn, ORR’s director of strategy, policy and reform, said: ‘Approving these additional open access services will increase connectivity on the East Coast Main Line.

‘Passengers and freight customers can benefit from more direct connections and greater choice from December.’

How much will the London to Glasgow service cost?

‘Fares aren’t live yet, but are due to be announced in the coming weeks,’ Salkeld told us.

But, as an indication in terms of sample prices, he said Lumo’s average fare between London and Edinburgh is in the region of £49.

The schedule — including the exact date the service will launch, is still to be finalised, too.

However, consumer site Which? claims that Lumo’s prices and services can be compared to low cost airlines like Ryanair and Easyjet, due to the cheaper tickets, lack of first class carriages, no buffet cart, and baggage limits.

Given that tickets to Edinburgh come in at £49, and Glasgow is slightly nearer to London, tickets are likely to be even cheaper.

Glasgow isn’t the only Scottish destination becoming more accessible to budget travel.

Lumo also announced the expansion of its Scotland Rail Network, with a new London to Stirling route from Spring 2026. The new service will depart from London Euston and offer passengers four daily affordable services.

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