LNER plans major rail timetable shake-up between York and London – Here’s what it will mean

York based London North Eastern Railway (LNER) has begun an eight-week public consultation on one of the biggest set of changes to its timetable ever seen.

They would be introduced in May next year.

Recent work on the railway means more services can run on the busy section of the East Coast Main Line from Kings Cross to York. LNER promises more seats and faster trips between the capital and Scotland and the North East.

The railway city of York would get the best service it has ever had on the route of the Flying Scotsman. And the train that currently carries that name will once again stop at York – the 0540 Edinburgh to London currently passes through.

There will be places that will lose out though. A plan for regular services to Bradford Forster Square is on hold and LNER will pull out of Sunderland.

How it affects our stations

York

Eighteen more trains to and from London on weekdays and extra services at the weekends too. The timetable shows on average three trains an hour.

The hourly non-stop service will leave King’s Cross at half past the hour instead at the top of the hour and will run non-stop to Newcastle and then Edinburgh after it calls at York.

The fastest trains to/from London will take 1 hour and 46 minutes northbound and 1 hour 53 minutes southbound. A trip to Edinburgh will be done in 2 hours 16 mins and to Newcastle in just 50 minutes.

First departure south before 5am and last train north just after 11pm

A reduction in direct trains to Darlington and Berwick but there will be more to Durham and Newcastle.

Existing trains to Aberdeen, Glasgow and Inverness will still run too.

New service to Middlesbrough planned.

The ‘open access’ operator, York based Grand Central, will continue to run from Sunderland to London via York too. And there is good news for them as LNER plans to end its own service to Wearside so there will be no competition on the coastal route.

Northallerton

Trains to and from London every two hours as now but no direct services to Edinburgh.

CrossCountry will start calling to provide a link to Scotland and the South West.

Faster trips from London in 2 hours 15 minutes. (2 hours 23 mins to London)

Selby

Selby services to London are mainly provided by Hull Trains but the northbound journey on LNER will be retimed to leave lo London after 6pm. The evening LNER Selby to Doncaster train will stop running too.

Harrogate

Every two hours with an earlier start from Harrogate but also a much earlier last departure from London at 16:39. Trains run via Leeds and will all stop at Horsforth too. Connections can be made as now from Cattal and Knaresborough.

Malton

Malton and Norton are not served by LNER and there is no mention of a direct train to London on the Scarborough line as has been called for in the past.

‘Levelling up’

London-Edinburgh services will be around 15 minutes faster with up to 1,500 more seats per day, each way and London to Newcastle services will be around 10 minutes faster, with up to 7,500 more seats per day, each way.

The proposed May 2022 timetable has been developed by Network Rail with all train and freight operators on the East Coast Main Line.

The latest public consultation is open from 11 June to 5 August 2021

David Horne, LNER managing director, said: “We are confident of the future of long-distance rail travel on the East Coast route and that, by delivering to our customers the full benefit of our new trains and upgraded tracks, we can help level-up and connect the country, protect the environment and support our communities and destinations.”

There are also proposed changes to other services too. There are plans for a train every half hour from York to Harrogate via Poppleton.

The Transpennine service to Manchester Airport from York will be cut back to hourly. TPE trains from York to Edinburgh will terminate at Newcastle too and Northallerton will lose some services southbound to York that start at Middlesbrough