No fast Azuma Edinburgh to LONDON during the weekends after Sun 12 Sep?

[Martijn]

Hello all,

I've been waiting for a while to book a train from Edinburgh to London on Sunday 19 September, but it seems that after Sunday 12 September, there are no fast (4h20-4h40) LNER Azuma trains scheduled during the weekends anymore.
On weekdays, on the other hand, they're on the timetable until well into October.

Am I missing some information about a change of weekend schedule from 12 September onwards?
Or should I still expect these Azumas to become available soon? It's less than five weeks away…

 

[800001]

Engineering work with services diverted via Tyne Valley and Carlisle.

Happens every year, for several Weekends in a row, usually September/October.

All information which is shown on the LNER website if looking under "Timetable Changes'.

 

[jfisher21]

The quickest trains from Edinburgh - London on those weekends are the avanti ones to Euston. Can change at Crewe for a journey time of just over 5 hours.

 

[DanNCL]

I'd definitely recomend avoiding LNER for Edinburgh - London on weekends they're diverting via Carlisle. The diversion via Carlisle removes the only advantage LNER still has over Avanti on that route - journey time.

 

[yorkie]

Hello all,

I've been waiting for a while to book a train from Edinburgh to London on Sunday 19 September, but it seems that after Sunday 12 September, there are no fast (4h20-4h40) LNER Azuma trains scheduled during the weekends anymore.
On weekdays, on the other hand, they're on the timetable until well into October.

Am I missing some information about a change of weekend schedule from 12 September onwards?
Or should I still expect these Azumas to become available soon? It's less than five weeks away…

What time do you want to travel? Are you price or time sensitive?

Looking at Trainsplit, it can be done for under £50.

It may be a good opportunity to take a different route than usual, such as the Tyne Valley Line or the Settle Carlisle line, which are quite scenic, especially the latter.

 

[Martijn]

Thanks for the answers, I better not wait any longer and start looking for an alternative (route) then…

@yorkie I was planning to leave in the morning, so I still have some time in London, before I catch the (unfortunately early) Eurostar to Brussels the next day. Fingers crossed Eurostar will reinstate the evening connection before I travel, so I at least have some time on Monday!

 

[dk1]

I'd definitely recomend avoiding LNER for Edinburgh - London on weekends they're diverting via Carlisle. The diversion via Carlisle removes the only advantage LNER still has over Avanti on that route - journey time.

Nice ride round though if time isn’t an issue.

 

[Falcon1200]

The quickest trains from Edinburgh - London on those weekends are the avanti ones to Euston. Can change at Crewe for a journey time of just over 5 hours.

Alternatively, if you have to get a train to Edinburgh anyway to connect into LNER, go to Glasgow instead and Avanti direct from Central; Assuming there are Scotrail services on Sundays by then of course.

 

[najaB]

I'd definitely recomend avoiding LNER for Edinburgh - London on weekends they're diverting via Carlisle.

On the other hand, unless you need to be there in a hurry I would recommend doing it specifically for the novelty factor.

 

[yorkie]

Looking at Trainsplit, in value mode it is finding the cheapest option to be Avanti as far as Crewe and West Midlands Trains onwards.

The next most affordable option is actually LNER all the way through.

Alternatively, if you have to get a train to Edinburgh anyway to connect into LNER, go to Glasgow instead and Avanti direct from Central; Assuming there are Scotrail services on Sundays by then of course.

Trainsplit does find some options involving this routeing but it's not the best value.

 

[Martijn]

Not really in a hurry—I'll just spend some more time in London another time (although I will actually be needing a passport by then…)—so I went for the 6h24 scenic route in an Azuma 9-coach train…

I just hope, by then they'll have started serving the Dish menu as well!

 

[_toommm_]

If anyone wants a rare bit of track, it seems some journeys are going via the Edinburgh Suburban Line too, such as this one:

Realtime Trains - 1E27 1608 Edinburgh to London Kings Cross

Realtime Trains is an independent source of live realtime running information for the Great British railway network.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[najaB]

If anyone wants a rare bit of track, it seems some journeys are going via the Edinburgh Suburban Line too, such as this one:

Realtime Trains - 1E27 1608 Edinburgh to London Kings Cross

Realtime Trains is an independent source of live realtime running information for the Great British railway network.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

ISTR that there's work being done on the Calton Tunnels, but might be misremembering.

 

[yorksrob]

Get a few extra tinnies in.

 

[Falcon1200]

ISTR that there's work being done on the Calton Tunnels, but might be misremembering.

Sorry, I think you are misremembering ! The Calton Tunnels are to the east of Waverley so the train mentioned still passes through them, perhaps it is work on the Mound and/or Haymarket Tunnels, both to the west of Waverley.

 

[najaB]

Sorry, I think you are misremembering ! The Calton Tunnels are to the east of Waverley so the train mentioned still passes through them, perhaps it is work on the Mound and/or Haymarket Tunnels, both to the west of Waverley.

D'oh! Yes, that was a pretty silly mistake to make. I'll be in the back of the class doing my lines.

 

[jfisher21]

I guess the Inverness and Aberdeen trains go that way so they don't have to reverse.

 

[DanNCL]

I guess the Inverness and Aberdeen trains go that way so they don't have to reverse.

That would then put the sets the wrong way round at Aberdeen and Inverness, unless the High Level Bridge is also being used therefore eliminating the Newcastle reversal too.