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At Time Out, we’ve long been very much looking forward to launch of Lumo’s London to Stirling train service. In fact, it was part of the reason why we named Stirling the UK’s best place to visit in 2026.
Right now if you want to get between the two cities by train, you have to make at least two changes and pay around £49 minimum for a single journey. But this summer, thanks to low-cost rail operator Lumo, that trip will be far more accessible and affordable.
Last week, Lumo released the very first tickets for the service. At the moment, you can buy tickets for journeys from July 10 until the end of summer but it’s hoped that the route will be launched before the end of July and more tickets for those earlier services will be released in the coming weeks. No specific date has been announced for its launch, yet.
If you book early enough in advance of your trip, you can get a one-way ticket from London to Stirling for £29.90. A ticket between London and Preston starts at £23.90 and journeys between Preston and Stirling are available from £14.90. You can get them even cheaper if you’ve got a railcard. The plan is for the service to run four times a day between the two cities (three times on Sundays), with an extra Preston to London return service.
The trains themselves, if you’re interested, are refurbished Class 222 trains. Inside, they’re ‘sleek grey and silver’ and new seating. If you’re hoping the route will feature a more affordable first class option, I'm afraid you’ll be disappointed. In order to keep costs low, Lumo doesn’t offer different class services.
What is there to do in Stirling? Well, we suggest taking advantage of the new train route in August, when you can combine your city break with the Stirling Highland Games and International Gathering. It’s a showcase of elite Highland athletic events like the caber toss, hammer throw and shot putt, accompanied by a creative arts programme with live historic battle demos, live music and talks on Scottish heritage.
The new route will give more people easy access to Stirling’s castle and National Wallace Monument, as well as to Scotland’s extraordinary natural landscapes like Loch Lomond and the Trossachs.
Full list of stops on Lumo London to Stirling service
The service will run along the West Coast Main Line and stop at the following places:
- London Euston
- Milton Keynes
- Nuneaton
- Crewe
- Preston
- Carlisle
- Lockerbie
- Motherwell
- Whifflet
- Greenfaulds
- Larbert
- Stirling
ICYMI: A different Scottish city was just crowned the best in the world.
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