December 2025 East Coast Timetable

[Acfb]

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

I would say it's not really a 'new' service just an extension of an existing service to start at Dunbar. I think it's strange it doesn't run non stop from East Linton to Prestonpans as I thought the point of the service was to provide enough capacity for Prestonpans, Wallyford and Musselburgh passengers.

Looks like a decent timetable for East Lothian on the while TBH. East Linton gets a far better morning commuter service, with services evened out on Saturday as well as a more regular 1tp2h service on Sunday. I'm also surprised they've reinstated 2tph to North Berwick on Saturdays.

 

[Porty]

I would say it's not really a 'new' service just an extension of an existing service to start at Dunbar. I think it's strange it doesn't run non stop from East Linton to Prestonpans as I thought the point of the service was to provide enough capacity for Prestonpans, Wallyford and Musselburgh passengers.

Looks like a decent timetable for East Lothian on the while TBH. East Linton gets a far better morning commuter service, with services evened out on Saturday as well as a more regular 1tp2h service on Sunday. I'm also surprised they've reinstated 2tph to North Berwick on Saturdays.

Noted. But I still would have thought there's more benefit to overall capacity with a Longniddry stop instead of Drem. Unless a clever connection is being enabled at Drem for passengers travelling from Dunbar/ East Linton and heading for North Berwick. I haven't checked.

 

[Tramtrain]

It is a shame the Newcastle - Edinburgh Transpennine Express services are not calling at Cramlington as was promised originally. Connections from the Northern services at Morpeth look woeful.

 

[Class15]

It is a shame the NCL EDB TP services are not calling at CRM as was promised originally. Connections from the NT services at MPT look woeful.

Could you expand on the ‘CRM’ abbreviation? I can just about understand which stations the other ones are.

 

[D1537]

Could you expand on the ‘CRM’ abbreviation? I can just about understand which stations the other ones are.

CRM is Cramlington.

 

[800Travel]

It is a shame the NCL EDB TP services are not calling at CRM as was promised originally. Connections from the NT services at MPT look woeful.

Could you expand on the ‘CRM’ abbreviation? I can just about understand which stations the other ones are.

In case anyone doesn't know the others:

CRM is Cramlington.
NCL is Newcastle.
EDB is Edinburgh.
TP is Transpennine Express.
NT is Northern Trains.
MPT is Morpeth.

 

[InOban]

Noted. But I still would have thought there's more benefit to overall capacity with a Longniddry stop instead of Drem. Unless a clever connection is being enabled at Drem for passengers travelling from Dunbar/ East Linton and heading for North Berwick. I haven't checked.

No point in having a connection - there's no equivalent return service in the evening!
Drem is a remarkably busy park and ride for the area

 

[Manutd1999]

I suspect there will be loads of complaints once this gets further distributed. No services from Newark to Retford will not go down well (even if there are very few travrllers).

One potential solution could be to stop the xx40 to York (1p2h) at Newark instead of Peterborough? The Newark stop could be removed to the xx40 Leeds services in this hour if required for pathing.

 

[Halish Railway]

One potential solution could be to stop the xx40 to York (1p2h) at Newark instead of Peterborough? The Newark stop could be removed to the xx40 Leeds services in this hour if required for pathing.

I’d imagine there’d be much more demand for journeys from Retford to Peterborough and the various stations you can travel to from there than to Newark. It’s certainly a disappointment that this local connection has been lost but I’d argue that loosing a service to Peterborough would be more detrimental.

 

[ChrisC]

I’d imagine there’d be much more demand for journeys from Retford to Peterborough and the various stations you can travel to from there than to Newark. It’s certainly a disappointment that this local connection has been lost but I’d argue that loosing a service to Peterborough would be more detrimental.

Although both Retford and Newark are fairly large market towns, just 20 miles apart, and both within Nottinghamshire, it’s not surprising that passenger numbers between the two are very low. The high price of the return fare at £14.90 and the £15 (£8 off peak) parking at Newark but slightly less at Retford, just means anyone with a car would drive between the two towns. Even currently the service between the two towns is somewhat sparse at mostly only 2 hourly.

There is an hourly bus between Newark and Retford but it doesn’t run in the evenings and it does take just over an hour for the journey. The advantage of the bus is that it serves the town centre whereas both Newark Northgate and Retford Stations are not that conveniently located.

 

[A S Leib]

Although both Retford and Newark are fairly large market towns, just 20 miles apart, and both within Nottinghamshire, it’s not surprising that passenger numbers between the two are very low. The high price of the return fare at £14.90 and the £15 (£8 off peak) parking at Newark but slightly less at Retford, just means anyone with a car would drive between the two towns. Even currently the service between the two towns is somewhat spars at mostly only 2 hourly.

I doubt demand pre-Covid would have been massive, but I don't think that the lack of the fast Gainsborough – Sheffield service would help Newark – Sheffield demand either (although most people doing that by train would probably go via Doncaster or Nottingham anyway, depending on cost?).

 

[30907]

I doubt demand pre-Covid would have been massive, but I don't think that the lack of the fast Gainsborough – Sheffield service would help Newark – Sheffield demand either (although most people doing that by train would probably go via Doncaster or Nottingham anyway, depending on cost?).

TBH I doubt there is any significant flow from Newark (or Grantham) involving changing at Retford.

 

[wilson2394]

How will LNER work there diagrams?

Obviously the Bi 9 cars will be on INV/ABD/HGT/HUL north.

The Bi 5 cars will be on LCN/MBR/HGT

Will the KGX-NCL be 5 car electrics?

 

[800001]

How will LNER work there diagrams?

Obviously the Bi 9 cars will be on INV/ABD/HGT/HUL north.

The Bi 5 cars will be on LCN/MBR/HGT

Will the KGX-NCL be 5 car electrics?

I would think at this point only LNER would know that.

However, the initial diagram drafts I saw several months ago, were a mix of 5 and 9 car Azuma sets.

 

[wilson2394]

I would think at this point only LNER would know that.

However, the initial diagram drafts I saw several months ago, were a mix of 5 and 9 car Azuma sets.

Where did you see this?

 

[800001]

Where did you see this?

Internal documents.

 

[Halish Railway]

How will LNER work there diagrams?

Obviously the Bi 9 cars will be on INV/ABD/HGT/HUL north.

The Bi 5 cars will be on LCN/MBR/HGT

Will the KGX-NCL be 5 car electrics?

Hopefully more Harrogate trains can be 9/10 cars long, although I wouldn’t be surprised if they stayed as 5 car services. I’d also imagine that the two-hourly Bradford services will be worked by Azumas, as selective door opening will be required to use the partially extended platform 4 at Shipley, much the 91+Mk4s do not have. LNER will also have the option of running pairs if 5 car trains on the additional Newcastle services as they are not constrained by power supply limitations.

There are a few other things that I wonder about regarding rolling stock utilisation, primarily how long the turnarounds at King’s Cross will be and how many Azumas are being used each day - Currently I believe 51/65 units are diagrammed so it should be perfectly possible to get just another 5 out.

 

[43094]

For info, currently 54/65 are diagrammed.

This includes a small number of units diagrammed 'spare', which are used to facilitate driver training and ongoing Fleet modifications, and also to cover gaps / step in during disruption.

 

[TheBigD]

For info, currently 54/65 are diagrammed.

Unless it has changed recently, it breaks down as...

26/30 9 car electric
10/12 5 car electric
10/13 9 car bimode
8/10 5 car bimode

 

[43094]

The above is correct (inclusive of the 'spare' diagrams).

 

[Bikeman78]

Hopefully more Harrogate trains can be 9/10 cars long, although I wouldn’t be surprised if they stayed as 5 car services. I’d also imagine that the two-hourly Bradford services will be worked by Azumas, as selective door opening will be required to use the partially extended platform 4 at Shipley, much the 91+Mk4s do not have. LNER will also have the option of running pairs if 5 car trains on the additional Newcastle services as they are not constrained by power supply limitations.

Class 91s have been to Bradford as recently as 2019. Maybe they didn't stop at Shipley.

 

[Kite159]

Class 91s have been to Bradford as recently as 2019. Maybe they didn't stop at Shipley.

LNER services use platform 3 at Shipley when heading towards Bradford which I believe is longer than platform 4 (and hence a Mk4 set can fit)

Isn't there a Sundays only 91+Mk4 working to Bradford, or am I mixing that up with a Sundays only 91 to Skipton?

 

[JRT]

Class 91s have been to Bradford as recently as 2019. Maybe they didn't stop at Shipley.

Currently LNER call.at platforms 1 & 3 only, with the 'extra' trains calling at platform 4 from the May 2025 timetable change.

LNER services use platform 3 at Shipley when heading towards Bradford.

Isn't there a Sundays only 91+Mk4 working to Bradford, or am I mixing that up with a Sundays only 91 to Skipton?

The weekday morning commuter train from Skipton is a 225 (91 + Mk4), but all trains on Sunday are 9-car Azumas at the moment.

Sunday morning used to be a 225 from Bradford, changed sometime in 2024.

 

[43094]

Sunday morning is still a 91 from Bradford in the current WTT.

Saturday evening Bradford is also a 225, as above uses platform 3 at Shipley.

 

[D6130]

Currently LNER call.at platforms 1 & 3 only, with the 'extra' trains calling at platform 4 from the May 2025 timetable change.

Down LNER services to Skipton use platform 2 at Shipley, as platform 1 is not reversible.

 

[Halish Railway]

Down LNER services to Skipton use platform 2 at Shipley, as platform 1 is not reversible.

But they don’t call there.

 

[D6130]

But they don’t call there.

Apologies....you're right. I had forgotten that!

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

But they don’t call there.

They don’t? Is that a relatively new change?

 

[Halish Railway]

They don’t? Is that a relatively new change?

I don’t think the evening Kings Cross to Skipton trains have ever stopped there, it’s probably to much of a faff given that a long LNER train would foul Shipley North Junction.

 

[xotGD]

I don’t think the evening Kings Cross to Skipton trains have ever stopped there, it’s probably to much of a faff given that a long LNER train would foul Shipley North Junction.

And the Up "Airedale Executive" in the morning only has a single door opening at Shipley. At least it did when it was my morning commute into Leeds.