Lumo has revealed what their new Class 222 trains will look like, with a glimpse into the first train at Widnes as part of a private launch for their HQ in Preston, Lancashire.

The train operator invited RailAdvent to Preston on Friday to see the HQ launched in the City Centre, and they also provided us with a preview of the new look train.

The Class 222s are being refurbished at Alstom’s Widnes facility and will feature a striking new livery in Lumo’s signature blue colour.

The Class 222s were previously in operation with East Midlands Railway, and the final finishing touches are taking place ahead of being introduced with Lumo West Coast.

Lumo East Coast has been operating for 4.5 years now between London King’s Cross and Edinburgh (later extending to Glasgow) and has proven very popular with passengers.

Lumo says it wants to bring these benefits to passengers on the West Coast with its new service.

The HQ will create around 100 jobs in Preston, and the operator partnered with Preston Caribbean Carnival for a special procession from Preston railway station to the new headquarters on Fox Street.

Each office in the HQ is named after stations the trains will serve, and has screens on the door to ‘block’ out each room for a meeting.

Joining the special event was Scottish boyband, Just the Brave, who have over 5,000,000 likes on TikTok and entertained the invited guests at the new HQ.

Tickets for travel from July 2026 are on sale now with prices starting from £29.90 between London Euston and Stirling.

Sir Mark Hendrick, the MP for Preston, attended the launch and welcomed competition on the WCML.

Thank you to Lumo for inviting us to the official HQ launch, and we can’t wait to see the service fully launched.

“This is a significant moment for both Lumo colleagues and the people of Preston as we countdown to officially launching our new West Coast service. 

“We’re excited to be investing in our new base in Preston which is creating jobs and supporting the local economy. We’re looking forward to becoming a part of the community here, already forging some brilliant partnerships, with the Preston Caribbean Carnival team helping us to open our HQ here in real style.

“We can’t wait to begin this new service in the coming months, offering simple, low-cost tickets and direct services between Scotland, the North West of England and London.”

Stuart Jones, Managing Director of First Rail Open Access