Newcastle-based train operator Lumo has been named ‘Green Innovation Business of the Year’ at the North East Chamber of Commerce awards held at The Glasshouse International Centre for Music in Gateshead.
Lumo’s 100% electric rail service connects London with Newcastle and Edinburgh along the East Coast Main Line and has achieved industry-leading customer satisfaction scores, offers a service that is 25 times greener and cleaner than flying and celebrates a workforce of more than 90% of colleagues who joined the company through an apprenticeship.
Earlier this year, Lumo became the very first long-distance train company to eradicate plastic bottles onboard by sourcing a sustainable carton alternative for water as well as offering a sustainable juice drink using ‘wonky fruit’ which would otherwise be wasted, alongside other recyclable canned drinks.
“At Lumo, we’re proud to set new standards in sustainability. From our popular on-board menus offering plant-based products, eradicating plastic bottles onboard to our commitment to the development of colleagues and encouraging customers to take the train over plane or car, we’re delighted to be recognised with this award from the North East Chamber of Commerce Business Awards,” said Martijn Gilbert, Managing Director at Lumo.
As an open-access rail operator, Lumo utilises spare capacity on the East Coast Main Line to offer enhanced choice for cost and carbon-conscious customers. This means that the five trains each day, each way between Edinburgh and London are operated at no cost to the tax-payer andoffer competitive fares to customers.
Lumo’s HQ is based in Newcastle’s Central Square South in the Stephenson Quarter site where the world’s first railway locomotive was built 200 years ago as part of the regions proud industrial heritage. Today the site is home to Lumo’s sustainable train service based in an eco-office operating entirely paper free and has received a BREEAM excellent rating for its environmental performance, putting it in the top 10% of sustainable, new non-domestic buildings in the UK.
Lumo recently announced ambitions to extend some services to Glasgow as well as proposals to run bring its popular low-cost services to a new route between London, Manchester and Rochdale. These proposals are currently under review by the rail regulator.
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