Twice a year, train timetables update – and not just for one or two providers. Everyone on the National Rail network gets involved. Usually any changes are insignificant and fly under the radar unless you’re an avid trainspotter, but not this time: this December, we’re about to see ‘the biggest timetable change on the East Coast Main Line (ECML) in more than a decade’.
Amongst the many ECML updates is increased connectivity between Newcastle and Edinburgh, the two biggest cities on the east coast. Right now, TransPennine Express (TPE) runs five trains between the towns per day, but on December 14 this will increase to eight. With this addition, there will be one TPE train roughly every two hours, and 2,000 more tickets available each day.
On top of giving passengers more choice about when they travel, and increasing capacity by more than 50 percent, the new timetable will include an early morning commuter service, leaving Newcastle at 5.26am and arriving in Edinburgh at 7.20am.
The journey between Edinburgh to Newcastle is gorgeous, with stunning views of the North Sea and the Northumberland coast. Although catching that 5am train will require a very early morning, you’ll be rewarded with a world-class sunrise.
Tickets start as low as £8 one way, and that’s without a railcard, which is part of the reason that Newcastle is one of favourite day trips from Edinburgh. Now, that trip will be easier than ever.
Although most services will remain the same when the timetable shifts, TPE ‘encourages customers to double-check any regular journeys they make’. The provider also said that it is ‘pleased to be introducing improvements that offer customers more choice, greater flexibility, and a better experience when travelling with us’.
Other improvements to the line include reducing journey times and increasing the number of trains between London and Yorkshire, the North East and Scotland, and a new hourly service between Sheffield and Leeds. East Midlands services between Nottingham and Lincoln are also set to double.
Did you see that the affordable train operator Lumo is expanding with three new UK routes?
Plus: This is the popular, affordable carrier that has been crowned the most reliable airline in Britain
Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Time Out UK newsletter for the latest UK news and the best stuff happening across the country.