FA Trophy Final: Lumo to schedule an extra service from London to help Gateshead fans

A local train operator has scheduled an extra service from London Kings Cross to aid Gateshead fans in their commute home from the FA Trophy Final.

Gateshead FC will take on Solihull Moors in the FA Trophy final, at Wembley Stadium in London, on May 11. The match will kick off at 16:45PM.

There will be an additional Lumo service after full time which will depart London Kings-Cross at 8:26PM and arrive at Newcastle Central Station at 23:10PM.

Football writer Mark Carruthers said: “It is full credit to Lumo for their show of support and for allowing even more fans to get to the game and support their side”.

Gateshead played Halifax Town in the Final last season and lost 1-0. After the game, an earlier broken rail at Colton Junction caused carnage on the East Coast mainline.

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Due to the disruption all LNER trains were cancelled apart from the delayed 21:00, which stood at Kings-Cross platform for three hours until its eventual departure at 22:00. It left the station very overcrowded with some many passengers standing

Passengers on board the delayed LNER train an hour prior to departure.

    The same train after arriving at York.

Carruthers added that he thinks “even more” fans will travel than last year and that they will be “inspired by the disappointment of recent events involving the club.”

Fans travelling to the game can book the 7:12am or 10:22am Lumo services from Newcastle Central Station. To enhance pre-match excitement on May 11, Lumo will be brand a train with ‘Heed Army Express’ designs across one of the operator’s all-electric trains.

Martijn Gilbert, Managing Director at Lumo, said: “As a locally based company, we’re proud to be playing our part in helping Gateshead fans make sure they can get to Wembley and back on the same day for the Trophy Final. We’ll be making sure it’s a memorable journey with our special ‘Head Army Express’ service helping the club’s many fans get their match fit.

“Putting on an extra train at short notice is no mean feat, but as an agile and entrepreneurial Open Access rail operator, and thanks to our work with Network Rail, we have ensured we’ve been able to achieve this important goal to support Gateshead fans.”

David Geddess from the Heed Army Podcast said that he hopes it won’t be a repeat of last year both on the pitch and off it: “The broken rail caused so much disruption to fans trying to get home after a long and disappointing day”.

“Lumo have planned well for the trip given the short turn around and overtime issue affecting the rail service that weekend. The extra train will give fans that bit more time to celebrate”.