Train operator seeks to capitalise on high fuel prices with adverts at petrol pumps showing rail fares
Price of next train to London shown as motorists fill up at Edinburgh forecourt
A rail company is taking a novel approach to encouraging more drivers to switch to train travel by highlighting the price difference at petrol pumps in Edinburgh.
Motorists filling up at a forecourt in the capital now see the price of a ticket on the next Lumo train to London displayed beside the cost of their fuel.
The cross-Border electric train operator’s innovative use of screens at the pumps coincides with the price of petrol and diesel reaching at their highest levels for four years because of the conflict in the Middle East.
Lumo said its Edinburgh-London one-way fares started at £38.90 compared to a tank of fuel for the 400-mile journey costing about £68 for petrol and about £76 for diesel, according to the RAC fuel cost calculator.
It said its fastest trains between Edinburgh Waverley and London King’s Cross took four hours 11 minutes, around three hours faster than by car, and produced significantly lower carbon emissions.
The operator said the price display trial at the Shell station at the Dreghorn junction on the Edinburgh City Bypass would “give motorists a timely reminder of a greener and often more affordable alternative to driving between Scotland and England”.
It said: the experiment aimed to “drive awareness, encourage modal shift from car to train and demonstrate the value of rail in a bold and engaging way”.
The Edinburgh-London route is highly competitive, with train operators such as Lumo and main east coast line firm LNER overtaking airlines’ share of the market three years ago, while a minority choose to drive.
Richard Salkeld, director of communications and partnerships at Lumo, said: “We’re taking the rail conversation directly to where it matters - at the pump.
“At the exact moment people are thinking about the cost of their journey, we’re showcasing other methods of transport for when they’re at the point of making current and future travel choices.
“This is about making rail visible in everyday decisions. By putting live fares and services across forecourts, we’re giving people the information they need to consider how they travel.”
Nicholas Lyes, director of policy for motoring group IAM RoadSmart, said: “While cost is a considerable factor in how people travel, convenience and ease also play a considerable role.
“If operators can guarantee price, convenience, service and lower stress levels all at the same time, this sort of thing could certainly catch on.”
Lumo, part of First Group, is an “open access operator”, which, unlike LNER, receives no government funding.
It launched Edinburgh-London services nearly five years ago which were extended to Glasgow in December.
The operator said its new Stirling-London Euston services via the west coast main line would start “within weeks”, which is expected to happen next month.
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