More details of FirstGroup's Lumo plan for Paignton emerge

More details of FirstGroup’s proposed London Paddington-Paignton service have emerged.

In forms submitted to Network Rail for industry consultation, the operator has outlined the calling patterns for the Lumo-branded operation which, if approved by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), will begin in May 2028.

FirstGroup wants to run five return services each weekday, with four of those via Bath and one routed via Bristol Parkway.

An additional Up morning peak service would run between Highbridge & Burnham and Paddington, via Bristol Parkway, and a Down evening peak service to Exeter St Davids via Bristol Temple Meads.

A morning peak service from Paignton to Bristol Temple Meads is also proposed.

A spokesman told RAIL the peak-time services were tailored to the availability of access along the Great Western Main Line, rather than targeting a specific market segment such as commuter traffic.

Worle, Nailsea & Blackwell, and Parson Street stations are also included on the Highbridge & Burnham and Exeter services, while trains to and from Paignton

are also earmarked to call at Torre, Torquay, Newton Abbot and Teignmouth.

A total of four journeys between Paddington and Plymouth are planned for Saturdays, along with one service from London to Exeter, one from Highbridge & Burnham
to Paddington, and one from Paignton to Bristol Temple Meads.

The numbers are the same on Sundays, except the number of trains between Paddington and Paignton drops to three.

Highbridge & Burnham trains to London run via Bristol Temple Meads at weekends.

In its application form to ORR, FirstGroup said: “Most trains run via Bath Spa but a few, for pathing purposes, run via Bristol Parkway.

“This new service is designed to add value and capacity for the South West, utilising new-build rolling stock and building on the success of Lumo services on the East Coast Main Line.”

Brand new five-car Class 802s would be used along the route, with FirstGroup adding: “It is currently assumed that the units will be serviced overnight by Hitachi at Stoke Gifford (Bristol) and North Pole (London).”