December 2025 East Coast Timetable

[Robski]

Yet another stop on the Cambridge stopper - New Barnet. I have no idea how GTR's planning team came up with this and thought it was a good idea.

 

[55002]

The old Deltic turn 0550 KGX to Aberdeen been revived!

 

[takethegame]

No direct trains from Peterborough to Durham that I could see

Will East Midlands change their timetables from Peterborough to Lincoln/Doncaster via Spalding to a regular clockface service at last to fit in at both ends?

 

[800001]

Looks like the timetable change has just been confirmed for December 2025, and there's a joint TOC website as well.

www.lner.co.uk/news/more-seats-and-quicker-journeys-as-new-east-coast-main-line-timetable-given-green-light/



Joint website is at:

East Coast Main Line December 2025 Timetable

East Coast Main Line December 2025 Timetable

ecmltimetable.info

Thank you for providing links, very helpful.

I’ve just looked at the Bishop to Saltburn timetable, and all services continue to operate throughout, so one train per hour in each direction crossing the mainline.

The new platforms being built at great cost were meant to stop this and originally only peak trains would run throughout.

However, as they all run though it is far better for the customers.

 

[jfollows]

Looks like the timetable change has just been confirmed for December 2025, and there's a joint TOC website as well.

www.lner.co.uk/news/more-seats-and-quicker-journeys-as-new-east-coast-main-line-timetable-given-green-light/



Joint website is at:

East Coast Main Line December 2025 Timetable

East Coast Main Line December 2025 Timetable

ecmltimetable.info

The down Skipton service not calling at Leeds is presumably a mistake (1D26).

 

[jon0844]

Yet another stop on the Cambridge stopper - New Barnet. I have no idea how GTR's planning team came up with this and thought it was a good idea.

And still no 4tph on the inners all day.

 

[A S Leib]

No mention of bringing back Newcastle – Manchester Airport, at least by next December; is that because of TransPennine Upgrade works?

 

[xotGD]

"Longer journey times between London and Airedale. Progress by LNER."

It gets better. The southbound connections are broken as well.

 

[A S Leib]

(It might have been said but there's 18 pages to look through) are the calling patterns detailed in post 24 still the one planned for next December?

• Fast LNER Edinburgh services losing Darlington and some York calls
• Little change to slow LNER Edinburgh services
• Stevenage and Grantham getting hourly Newcastle services
• Lincoln services alternating with Harrogate instead of York and not calling at Peterborough
• An hourly London – Leeds running fast from Peterborough to Wakefield and to Bradford bihourly
• The other hourly London – Leeds service running fast south of Doncaster

Or, in other words, York / Newcastle getting 3 tph LNER instead of 2½ / 2 and Leeds going from 2 to 2½. The Glasgow, Stirling and Sunderland extentions definitely aren't happening, not sure about Huddersfield and I think 1tp2h Middlesbrough's dependent on platform 3 being built.

LNER tph now

	KGX	SVG	PBO	GRA	NNG
DON	3.5	1.5	2.5	1.5	1.5
LDS	2	1	1	1	0
YRK	2.5	0.5	~2	0.5	1.5
NCL	2	0	1	0	1
EDB	2	0	1	0	1

LNER tph – 2021 consultation

	KGX	SVG	PBO	GRA	NNG
DON	3.5 (=)	1.5 (=)	1 (-1.5)	1.5 (=)	1.5 (=)
LDS	2.5 (+0.5)	0.5 (-0.5)	1 (=)	0.5 (-0.5)	0.5 (+0.5)
YRK	3 (+0.5)	1 (+0.5)	1.5 (=)	1 (+0.5)	1 (-0.5)
NCL	3 (+1)	1 (+1)	1 (=)	1 (+1)	1 (=)
EDB	2 (=)	0 (=)	1 (=)	0 (=)	0 (-1)

Actual December 2025 timetable

	KGX	SVG	PBO	GRA	NNG
DON
LDS
YRK	3.5 (+1)	1 (+0.5)	1.5 (=)	1 (+0.5)	1 (-0.5)
NCL	3 (+1)	1 (+1)	1 (=)	1 (+1)	1 (=)
EDB	2 (=)	0 (=)	1 (=)	0 (=)	1 (=)

2022-3 passenger numbers (thousands)

	KGX	SVG	PBO	GRA	NNG
DON	384	9	23	9	7
LDS	925	45	59	30	16
YRK	704	13	46	11	25
NCL	735	13	37	4	18
EDB	994	12	40	4	19

Planned December 2025 timetable (changes with what I remember of the 2019 timetable)

	KGX	SVG	PBO	GRA	NNG
DON	3.5 (=; no / minor Grand Central / Hull Trains changes)	1 (-0.5)	2.5 (=)	1 (-0.5; minor HT changes)	2 (=)
LDS	2 (=)	1 (=)	1 (=)	1 (=)	1 (=)
YRK	3.5 (+1; no / minor GC changes)	1 (+0.5)	1.5 (=)	1 (+0.5)	1 (=)
NCL	3 (+1; +Lumo)	1 (+1)	1 (=)	1 (+1)	1 (=)
EDB	2 (=; +Lumo)	0 (=)	1 (=)	0 (=)	1 (=)

One thing that doesn't show is that some of the big losers are short journeys rather than cross-Doncaster ones, especially Newark – Retford (with Retford – Doncaster largely dependent on Hull Trains).

 

[Farigiraf]

Interesting to see they are proposing to extend some of the Nunthorpe services to Great Ayton. Long overdue in my opinion, but at that point why don't they just turn at Battersby instead?

 

[Andyh82]

I presume the new fast service between Leeds and Sheffield is in addition to the two services that run via Barnsley

It’s a shame that this new service can’t run to Nottingham to allow 4 car operation, but it’s at the completely wrong side of the clock face

 

[weeklycommuter]

Interesting that the following information about the TPE service between Edinburgh Waverley and Newcastle in the December 2025 timetable does not include Reston in the list of connected stations. I do not know if they just forgot to include Reston when writing this or they did not want to mention Reston or if they have decided this TPE service will no longer call at Reston. It is clear that the decision to build Reston Station was not universally popular in the railway industry.

East Coast Main Line December 2025 Timetable

East Coast Main Line December 2025 Timetable

ecmltimetable.info

The TransPennine Express service between Edinburgh Waverley and Newcastle will operate 8 times day each way (up from 5 times per day) from December 2025 with a service every 2 hours connecting Edinburgh Waverley, East Linton, Dunbar, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Alnmouth, Morpeth and Newcastle.

 

[hexagon789]

Interesting that the following information about the TPE service between Edinburgh Waverley and Newcastle in the December 2025 timetable does not include Reston in the list of connected stations. I do not know if they just forgot to include Reston when writing this or they did not want to mention Reston or if they have decided this TPE service will no longer call at Reston. It is clear that the decision to build Reston Station was not universally popular in the railway industry.

All the TPE services call at Reston according to the timetable, plus one LNER.

 

[Andyh82]

It’s a shame that after all this time the TPE Edinburgh to Newcastle is still a self contained shuttle

It looks like with just a very slight adjustment northbound it would line up with the TPE services that terminate at Newcastle from Manchester

 

[hexagon789]

It’s a shame that after all this time the TPE Edinburgh to Newcastle is still a self contained shuttle

It looks like with just a very slight adjustment northbound it would line up with the TPE services that terminate at Newcastle from Manchester

Same reason they axed the through running from Liverpool, I believe it was deemed too great a performance risk to run it through. Splitting it means delays/cancellations aren't imparted either side of Newcastle.

 

[Fuzzytop]

"Longer journey times between London and Airedale. Progress by LNER."

It gets better. The southbound connections are broken as well.

Ooft - the southbound ones are even worse. Quite a few of the Skipton to Leeds departures are scheduled take a few minutes longer between Shipley and Leeds, and so just miss the LNER connection.

Current timetable:
2H45 1347 Skipton to Leeds 1429
1A36 1445 Leeds to London King's Cross 1700

2025 timetable:
2H45 1347 Skipton to Leeds 1431 -- is therefore an invalid connection for the 1440 LNER departure
1A25 1510 Leeds to London King's Cross 1721

At least there will be lots of time to hang around in Leeds and get a coffee

 

[weeklycommuter]

The consistent message from Network Rail is that Cambridge South Station will open by the end of 2025 and it will be in late 2025. AIUI the opening of the new station is dependent on the new East Coast Mainline timetable so I assume if the new East Coast Mainline timetable is introduced on Sunday 14 December 2025 Cambridge South Station will open on the same date.

The December 2025 timetable will include calls at Cambridge South Station which will open early in 2026 and it appears all passenger train services including all CrossCountry, Greater Anglia, Great Northern and Thameslink services with Cambridge South Station on route will call at Cambridge South Station.

East Coast Main Line December 2025 Timetable

East Coast Main Line December 2025 Timetable

ecmltimetable.info

All Thameslink and Great Northern services between Cambridge and central London have provision to call at the new Cambridge South station from December 2025.

East Coast Main Line December 2025 Timetable

East Coast Main Line December 2025 Timetable

ecmltimetable.info

Cambridge South station
Outcome: New station.
Direct trains to London King’s Cross, London Liverpool Street, Stansted Airport, Ely, Kings Lynn, Peterborough, Leicester and Birmingham New Street
Status: In delivery. Estimated to open in 2026

 

[swt_passenger]

No mention of bringing back Newcastle – Manchester Airport, at least by next December; is that because of TransPennine Upgrade works?

I thought it had been decided there’s no room for it between York and Newcastle. I’m sure that’s been the explanation in the earlier threads, I don’t believe it was expected to return.

 

[philjo]

Yet another stop on the Cambridge stopper - New Barnet. I have no idea how GTR's planning team came up with this and thought it was a good idea.

It looks like the peak stoppers that serve New Barnet mostly start from Letchworth (I saw one service starts at Royston). After Hitchin The Cambridge stoppers call at Welwyn North only. That will please those from the Cambridgeshire villages going to London but they appear to lose a direct service to Stevenage requiring a change at Hitchin. However it looks like there are no direct peak services between Cambridge and Welwyn Garden City or Hatfield. (& vv in the evening), requiring a change at Letchworth.
The Peterborough to Horsham services call at Knebworth in the morning peak.

 

[Class 170101]

Going to be difficult to travel between Newark and Retford and between Newark and Grantham by the looks of it, might even have to double back to make such a journey during some parts of the day.

 

[TheBigD]

From a quick glance there is a fair amount of changes to the open access operators...

Kings Cross departures...

Hull Trains
Current/Proposed
0727/0718
0948/0918
1148/1044
----/1200
1348/1400
1548/1610
1848/1904
2030/2018

Lumo
0545/0545
1045/1015
1218/1214
1448/1415
----/1842 NCL only
2027/2030

Grand Central
(Bradford)
1056/1117
1456/1317
1627/1625
1948/2000
(Sunderland)
0826/0800
1127/1100
1257/1300
1427/1500
1648/1700
1927/1927

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

Thameslink 9Sxx have reduced dwell time at Finsbury Pk Northbound making journeys slightly quicker

 

[notverydeep]

Yet another stop on the Cambridge stopper - New Barnet. I have no idea how GTR's planning team came up with this and thought it was a good idea.

This is a bit weird because it seems to be only the London Bound morning peak trains that have the extra stop, up to the 0908 departure from Welwyn Garden City. After this, the pattern lurches back to the previous times with the next at 09:52 (with only two Moorgate trains between). the northbound PM Peak trains are retimed too and like the AM trains are cut-back to Letchworth and have times skewed from the normal pattern through the day, yet these do not seem to have the New Barnet stop and neither do the off peak services. The London Bound trains are very close to the Sevenoaks trains which is a shame as the more similar the run time, the more an even 4 tph near turn up and go pattern would be suitable and would mitigate the extra run time. It was less than a decade ago that 2C13, the 08:21-ish departure from Welwyn Garden City was non-stop to Finsbury Park with a 14 minute booked time. The equivalent train in this timetable will make four additional stops and take 10 minutes longer. I have a 1930s postcard, which is a reprint of a 1930s poster for the Welwyn Garden City company advertising, "A Greatly Improved Train Service" with the fastest trains (presumably hauled by a steam tank engine such as an LNER N7) taking 23 minutes to King's Cross, where the current 700s with more installed power than a Deltic will be timed 32 minutes in this timetable! Or will they actually be 717s?

As mentioned up thread the off peak Moorgate trains remain 2 tph on each route and that is very disappointing and comes despite the good recovery of leisure traffic across the other parts of the network, in places to demand levels above that prior to the pandemic. Better news is the return of a 2 tph mid evening service from King's Cross to Welwyn Garden City, alternating between Cambridge and Letchworth. Sadly, this stops one train too early with the existing 23:27 Cambridge withdrawn and no trains between the new 23:07 and a train at 00:07 (there is also the existing 01:07 slightly re-timed).

 

[Halish Railway]

The old Deltic turn 0550 KGX to Aberdeen been revived!

Looks like a replacement of the 07:08 Leeds to Aberdeen.

 

[jon0844]

I can only hope that there will be better frequencies when the new signalling has been proven for a while, which means no major changes for a while.

 

[Porty]

The December 2025 timetable will include calls at Cambridge South Station which will open early in 2026 and it appears all passenger train services including all CrossCountry, Greater Anglia, Great Northern and Thameslink services with Cambridge South Station on route will call at Cambridge South Station.

Very strange that the new 0741 Dunbar to Edinburgh stops at Drem but not Longniddry, which is the bigger station, and has better connections by bus to the coastal villages

 

[xotGD]

Ooft - the southbound ones are even worse. Quite a few of the Skipton to Leeds departures are scheduled take a few minutes longer between Shipley and Leeds, and so just miss the LNER connection.

Current timetable:
2H45 1347 Skipton to Leeds 1429
1A36 1445 Leeds to London King's Cross 1700

2025 timetable:
2H45 1347 Skipton to Leeds 1431 -- is therefore an invalid connection for the 1440 LNER departure
1A25 1510 Leeds to London King's Cross 1721

At least there will be lots of time to hang around in Leeds and get a coffee

If you have a flexible ticket, then there is every chance you will make the +9 and get to London earlier. But folk with Advances just have to stand and watch it leave, then fester.

All for the sake of a minute.

 

[weeklycommuter]

Interesting that page 7 of the draft Weekday ECML LDHS timetable shows a reinstated 0755 CrossCountry Trains service from Southampton to Newcastle.

 

[A S Leib]

The final timetable for December 2025 will be available in late summer 2025.

The information provided here is Network Rail’s and the train operators’ latest view (correct on 14 November 2024) of what the train service will be from December 2025.

(From the timetables page on the ECML timetable website)

Are Lumo's Glasgow extensions something which might be added to the timetable later, or might they take until 2026 or longer?

 

[Halish Railway]

If you have a flexible ticket, then there is every chance you will make the +9 and get to London earlier. But folk with Advances just have to stand and watch it leave, then fester.

All for the sake of a minute.

Will a Skipton to Kings Cross advance purchase ticket allow to take a Skipton to Bradford service as far as Shipley and change onto a Bradford to Leeds service for a slightly longer connection time? There is also the choice of taking the once or two hours Bradford to London service from Shipley.

Services from Ilkley to Leeds have always had a 5-8 or 35-38 minute connection time onto a London Kings Cross service and that’s never been much of an issue as it’s perfectly possible to occupy yourself for 20 minutes until the platform is announced, if not desirable to give yourself enough time to buy food and drink and have a bit of slack time.