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A BUDGET train operator has launched a brand new rail service.

From this week, travellers can take a cross-border train journeys for under £30.

Lumo’s new low-cost journeys between London and Scotland have launched this week, connecting travellers between London Euston and Stirling.

Customers can travel on this 300 mile train route for only £29.90 per person, with journeys scheduled multiple times a day.

Stirling council leader, Cllr Susan McGill, said: “The sight of the first blue Lumo train in Stirling is an exciting moment, and we will continue to work closely with Lumo to ensure the new service is a success and delivers lasting benefits for everyone across the region.”

The new route also includes a handy connection between London and Preston, Lancashire, for just £23.90, and between Preston and Stirling for £14.90.

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Four direct return journeys will take place between Stirling and London Euston every day, with a fifth service running between Preston and London.

Lumo already runs a budget-friendly passenger train along the East Coast Main Line, connecting travellers between London King’s Cross, the North East of England and Edinburgh.

This new west coast route will call at Milton Keynes, Nuneaton, Crewe, Carlisle, Lockerbie, Motherwell, Whifflet, Greenfaulds and Larbert.

For Scottish towns Whifflet, Greenfaulds and Larbert, this is the first ever direct rail connection to London.

Graeme Cook, rail director for Transport Scotland, said: “Lumo’s new Stirling to London route is a very welcome addition to cross-border services which will provide wider economic and connectivity benefits to Scotland.

“The new services will not only boost tourism and hospitality for Stirling and the Forth Valley, but also increase connectivity by now providing customers from Whifflet, Greenfaulds and Larbert with direct access to rail connections on the West Coast Main Line and London.”

The train service will run from Monday, May 25, with the full timetable set to be available in July.

A NEW direct rail service connecting two major UK cities started running again for the first time in over two decades.

The first direct service left the station this morning at 7am.

A new daily rail service between Oxford and Bristol Temple Meads began today, offering a direct service between the two cities for the first time in 23 years.

The new service started this morning after plans were finally given the go-ahead on Friday, May 13, by Network Rail and Great Western Railway.

Running from Monday to Saturday, the new service will travel via the following stations: Oxford, Swindon, Chippenham, Bath Spa and Bristol Temple Meads.

Both services began today with the first train leaving Oxford at 7am, arriving into Bristol Temple Meads at 8.20am.

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Going the other way, the first service departing from Bristol left at 7.14am and arrived into Oxford at 8.32am.

The fastest journey times from Oxford will be one hour and eight minutes and from Bristol one hour and 11 minutes.

Until today, there was no direct service between Oxford and Bristol, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The new rail line also means there is now a direct service for passengers travelling between Swindon and Oxford.

Previously travellers needed to change at either Didcot Parkway or Reading.

Great Western Railway’s managing director, Mark Hopwood, said the decision comes after years of campaigning from customers and partners.

“The economic and social benefits are clear, and we are confident that these new services demonstrate the value of rail in driving economic growth, environmental benefits, and creating education and employment opportunities which previously were not possible – as well as directly linking two of the key leisure markets in the UK,” he said.

Swindon South MP and Secretary of State for Transport, Heidi Alexander, said the “weekend trial of direct trains was hugely popular” and the new service will provide travellers with “a fast, convenient alternative to being stuck in a traffic jam on the A420”.

Network Rail Western route director, Marcus Jones, said bringing back the direct service “is a significant step in improving connectivity across the Western route” and the new links “will make it easier for people to travel between key economic centres, opening up new opportunities for work, education and leisure”.

HOLIDAYMAKERS planning a trip to Europe this summer will now be able to tick two cities off their list in one train journey

Uncertainties surrounding the jet fuel crisis mean its the perfect time to take advantage of Europe’s train network.

A new train line between Prague and Copenhagen has officially opened to passengers, creating a direct link between two of Europe’s most popular cities.

Launched on May 1, travellers can commute between these unique locations for as little as £53 per ticket.

Starting from Prague’s main train station, Hlavní Nádraží, the train link will also stop at German stations, including Dresden and Berlin.

Two services will now run on a daily basis, with one making a return journey from Hamburg to Prague, and the other travelling to Copenhagen.

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For those wanting to commit to the ultimate European journey, the service will begin in Prague at 6.30am, then arrive in Copenhagen for 7.38pm.

This 13-hour journey is considerably longer than flying between destinations, which takes just over an hour.

Between the Danish and Czech capitals, travellers will also be able to stop off in Dresden, Berlin and Hamburg.

For those exclusively wanting to travel from Prague to Germany, the total journey to Hamburg takes just over six hours.

Passengers will be travelling on Czech Railways (ČD), with their premium ComfortJet trains including onboard restaurants, WiFi, bike storage and a children’s cinema.

Onboard entertainment, air conditioning and quiet carriages will also be available.

Those wishing to travel will also be able to book on an extra summer service, departing from Prague at 4.30pm and travelling to Copenhagen.

The new Prague to Copenhagen route is one of ten new routes supported by the European Commission to improve cross-border rail travel.

Budding travellers can expect a Munich-Milan-Rome connected journey as soon as December 2026.

ALL-NIGHT train services to a major UK airport will begin next month.

The roll out of a new rail timetable will connect travellers to the UK’s third busiest airport all through the night.

Eight overnight trains will go between Manchester Airport and Manchester Piccadilly.

Beginning from May 17, night trains are expected to run roughly every hour between the city and the airport.

The TransPennine Express (TPE) services are being put in place as part of a timetable shakeup.

It’s hoped it will better connect passengers making journeys to and from Manchester Airport in the late night and early morning.

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Andrew McClements, customer experience and transformation director at TPE, said, “We’re pleased to be introducing services that give customers more choice, added flexibility, and an improved overall experience when travelling with us.”

Other changes to the TPE timetable will see an update to 08.05am weekday services between Leeds and Manchester Piccadilly come into place.

The regular service will begin to call at Dewsbury.

This is to help commuters and students with early morning commutes and to better connect them to the city.

TPE is also urging customers to check their usual routes to see if they have been impacted by the timetable changes.

It said, “Although most of our services are unchanged, we encourage customers to take a moment to check any journeys they make regularly.”