Passengers using Lumo services between King's Cross and Edinburgh Waverley can now order meals for their journey before they travel.
Lumo is an open access operator owned by FirstGroup that provides low-cost, 100% electric travel between London, North East England, and Scotland. It currently runs two return services per day between London King's Cross and Edinburgh Waverley, with stops at Newcastle and Morpeth, increasing to five return services per day by January 2022.
Using Lumo's website to access the LumoEats option, a digital menu allows passengers to pre-order meals for their journey. There is a wide selection of food and beverage options from SSP's own brands, such as The Pasty Shop and Upper Crust, and a selection of food and drinks from well-known high street brands. More brands are to be added to the menu in the coming months.
LumoEats was launched by SSP UK and its railway catering arm, Rail Gourmet, and was developed by Servy, an enterprise self-service platform for hospitality.
Passenger's hot meal orders will be prepared freshly on the concourse at London King's Cross or Edinburgh Waverley. Shortly before departure, orders will be delivered in insulated bags to the Lumo trains where Lumo Customer Experience Ambassadors will serve them directly to customers in the comfort of their seats. Passengers can also pre-order other food options such as salads, snacks, and drinks, and these will be served to passengers from an on-board trolley during their journey.
Andy Webb, Managing Director at Rail Gourmet, said “We're delighted to be partnering with Lumo to provide this exciting new service. The new venture will combine the formidable strengths of SSP's F&B brands with Rail Gourmet's expertise in rail catering, supported by cutting-edge technology provided by our partner Servy. Offering the convenience of ordering freshly prepared food that's delivered quickly and directly to your seat; this new service is set to make a real difference to the F&B offer for rail passengers.”
Jeff Livney, Chief Experience Officer at Servy, said “It's great to be partnering with SSP, Rail Gourmet, and Lumo to further revolutionise the rail experience in enabling rail passengers to benefit from our order and pay technology. The service will utilise Servy's seamless technology to allow travellers to quickly and easily find and purchase the meals they love, without the hassle of waiting in line at the station.”
Matthew Lee, Commercial and Customer Experience Director at Lumo said “We really want our passengers to enjoy the Lumo experience from start to finish. LumoEats will allow for a less stressful, smoother journey for customers, with no need to rush to find food before boarding the train as it will be brought to them in the comfort of their own seat.”
Lumo is really going green and environmentally friendly.
I think railways have become incredibly uninventive. When I travel business class on a plane I get superb food and drink and a comfortable seat included in the price. But railways on the whole provide a very poor offering despite rail journey times being a lot longer. When we had restaurant cars a long rail journey was an enjoyable experience not just a journey from A to B.
Why are train companies so penny pinching and unimaginative ?
I agree. I’m unlikely to want my meal at the start of the journey so why can’t I order my pasty for delivery at Newcastle.
What an excellent idea! – It’s almost as if the 1930’s were happening all over again. People can once again get the most out of their train journey and it should be a boost to the railways’ passenger numbers.