Rail operator Lumo has been running services on its new Stirling to London Euston route without functioning onboard toilets, forcing longer stops at stations so passengers can use platform facilities instead. The disruption affects a journey that can last more than five-and-a-half hours, covering the 417-mile (671km) West Coast Main Line route.
According to the Herald Scotland, Lumo confirmed on social media platform X on 7 August 2026 that the 06:11 departure from London Euston to Stirling had no toilet facilities on board due to a fault, and advised passengers to seek assistance from onboard staff. The company's public update was posted at 8:17am on the morning of travel, per reporting from the Daily Mail.
Lumo, owned by FirstGroup, first flagged a toilet "fault" on a Stirling to Crewe service on Saturday. Since then, several services have made extended stops at stations including Preston, allowing passengers to disembark and use platform toilets before reboarding.
Has this happened before on this route?
Yes. The Daily Mail's reporting indicates that an earlier West Coast service on 1 August 2026 also ran without any working toilets, suggesting the issue has recurred over more than a week rather than being a single isolated fault.
What has Lumo said about the problem?
A Lumo spokesperson acknowledged ongoing reliability issues with the affected carriages.
"We have been experiencing some issues with the reliability of some of our toilet facilities onboard our West Coast services."
The company said it was working with Alstom, the manufacturer that refurbished the carriages used on the route, to address the problem.
What does the train manufacturer say?
An Alstom spokesperson admitted the situation did not meet the standards passengers are entitled to expect on long-distance journeys.
"We recognise that this falls short of the standard fare-paying passengers should expect, particularly on long-distance services."
"Working closely with Lumo, we are reviewing the entire fleet position to reduce the risk of repeat failures, improve overnight servicing checks, and ensure toilet availability is restored and maintained wherever possible on the operator's West Coast route."
How has this affected individual journeys?
The 06:11 departure from London Euston on Friday, one of the services hit by the fault, was delayed by 58 minutes and terminated early at Motherwell, North Lanarkshire, rather than continuing to its final destination. Affected passengers were told their tickets would be honoured on ScotRail services as an alternative.
Stirling station itself does have toilet facilities available, according to ScotRail's station information, which may explain why staff have been able to direct passengers to use platform facilities during the extended stops at stations along the route.
Liberal Democrat transport spokesperson Olly Glover criticised the situation on social media, questioning the operator's approach to passenger comfort.
"Is Lumo attempting to become the Ryanair of the rails?"
Is this a wider industry problem?
The lack of onboard toilets is not unique to Lumo. The refurbished Class 222 Meridian trains used by Lumo on its West Coast services are also operated by East Midlands Railway, which has separately experienced toilet faults across its own fleet.
Broader concerns about the absence of toilets on trains have also surfaced elsewhere on the rail network. A report into a serious passenger incident on the Elizabeth line found that the lack of onboard lavatories was a contributing factor to passengers self-evacuating a train, according to the Independent. Separately, a report from the RMT union has noted that while current law does not require toilet facilities on locomotives, this does not remove operators' obligations to provide adequate facilities for railway employees, per the union's published findings.
Legally, train operators in Britain are not required to provide onboard toilets, meaning Lumo has not breached any regulation by running services without working facilities, even on journeys of this length.
This is not the first disruption to hit the West Coast Main Line this year. In June, a herd of cows on the tracks caused major delays and cancellations on services between London and Scotland, with disruption lasting most of the day before the line reopened.
What happens next?
Lumo says it continues to work with Alstom to resolve the toilet faults, though no specific timeline for a full fix has been given in available reporting, according to the BBC. Alstom has said it is reviewing the condition of the entire fleet used on the route, with the stated aims of reducing repeat failures, improving overnight servicing checks, and restoring toilet availability wherever possible.
Lumo operates its West Coast route on an open access basis, meaning it sets its own fares, takes on all commercial revenue risk, and receives no taxpayer subsidy. It is separately unaffected by the government's ongoing renationalisation of Britain's franchised rail services, and also runs East Coast Main Line services connecting London King's Cross with Edinburgh, Glasgow and Falkirk.
Key Facts
- Lumo's Stirling to London Euston route covers 417 miles (671km) and can take more than five-and-a-half hours.
- The toilet fault was first reported on a Stirling to Crewe service on Saturday, with a further incident confirmed on 7 August 2026.
- An earlier affected service on 1 August 2026 also reportedly ran with no working toilets.
- The 06:11 Euston departure on Friday was delayed 58 minutes and terminated early at Motherwell.
- Lumo uses refurbished Class 222 Meridian trains, also operated by East Midlands Railway, which has faced similar issues.
