Network Rail "can't support" Lumo Paignton plans as it outlines capacity concerns

Network Rail has said it cannot support FirstGroup’s open access plan for services between London Paddington and Paignton via Bristol.

Capacity conflicts, a potential impact on performance, and level crossing mitigations are given as the reasons for why NR can’t support the plan for up to eight daily services, which the operator wants to start running in May 2028 under its Lumo brand.

In a letter to the Office of Rail and Road, NR’s Wales and Borders Route Customer Manager Joseph Brown said FirstGroup’s request would need to be “heavily revised” and reassessed before Network Rail could consider supporting it.

He wrote: “We can advise that none of the weekday services requested are compliant with current Timetable Planning Rules. Of the 13 services, six possess no viable path.”

NR analysis found that none of the Up services could be accommodated. And although there’s room for Down services, this would involve retiming other services and increasing the journey times of some.

“We note, however, that as none of the inbound Up services which would form these services are viable, it is likely that the departure times from London Paddington would need to change and therefore these paths would need to be reassessed,” Brown wrote.

He said that these capacity issues were made against the May 2025 offered timetable as well as future open access services between Paddington and Carmarthen (FirstGroup) and Taunton-Swindon via Westbury (Go-op).

Analysis also found platform issues at Paddington and the effect that Lumo services could have on already crowded sections of the Great Western Main Line.

There are also other applications from Great Western Railway, CrossCountry, DB Cargo UK, Freightliner Heavy Haul and Freightliner Limited that would interact with Lumo’s services, while the construction and introduction of Old Oak Common station is also set to affect capacity.

FirstGroup remains confident about its application, highlighting the transfer of more Elizabeth line customers to low-level platforms at Paddington that has released capacity in the terminus.

A spokesman said: “We’re working with Network Rail to ensure common agreement on a timetable that the application should be assessed against. The Torbay application will dovetail with the latest position on the Carmarthen services, and our planning team is working through the detail with NR.”

NR has requested more time to assess the application, in collaboration with FirstGroup.