adrock1976
Established Member
Thinking about the two recently reopened stations at East Linton and Reston (also possibly Belford in Northumberland as mentioned on the TP thread), and the version of the east side of HS2 switching from Toton Interchange to East Mids Parkway in 2021, below is a suggested service pattern for the York - Edinburgh section of the ECML.
1) ICEC London Kings Cross - Newcastle Central "Tyne Shuttle", non stop to York, then Northallerton (1tph) or Darlington (the other 1tph), Durham, Newcastle Central. Frequency every 30 minutes
2) ICEC London Kings Cross - Edinburgh Waverley/Glasgow Central/Aberdeen/Inverness calling stations to Doncaster, then York, Darlington, Durham, Newcastle Central, Morpeth (1tp2h), Alnmouth for Alnwick (the other 1tp2h), Berwick upon Tweed, Dunbar, Edinburgh Waverley, then odd hours to Glasgow Central calling Haymarket and Motherwell, even hours some journeys to Aberdeen and Inverness as present. Frequency KX- Edinburgh section every 60 minutes
3) ICXC Devon and Cornwall - Edinburgh Waverley via Birmingham and Doncaster calling various stations to Doncaster, then York, Darlington, Durham, Newcastle Central, Morpeth (1tp2h), Alnmouth for Alnwick, Berwick upon Tweed (the other 1tp2h), Reston (the 1tp2h that calls Morpeth), Dunbar (the other 1tp2h that calls Berwick upon Tweed), Edinburgh Waverley. Frequency every 60 minutes - runs in the opposite half hour to the London KX - Edinburgh etc between Doncaster and Edinburgh.
4) TPRE Liverpool - Newcastle Central via Huddersfield calling selected stations to Leeds, then York, Northallerton, Darlington, Durham, Chester-le-Street, Newcastle Central. Frequency every 60 minutes
5) TPRE Liverpool - Middlesbrough/Saltburn via Huddersfield calling selected stations to Leeds, then York, Thirsk, Northallerton, Yarm, Thornaby, Middlesbrough, and onwards to Saltburn. Frequency every 60 minutes - runs in the opposite half hour to the Liverpool - Newcastle between Liverpool and York/Northallerton.
6) IC Open Access London Kings Cross - Sunderland calling York, Thirsk, Northallerton, Yarm, Eaglescliffe, Stockton, and onwards to Sunderland. Frequency every 2 hours - runs in the opposite half hour to the Liverpool - Middlesbrough between York and Stockton Jct. (Possible joint operation with the OA operator and ICEC)
7) Newcastle - Berwick upon Tweed - Edinburgh local calling Manors, Cramlington, Morpeth, Pegswood, Widdrington for HMP Northumberland bus link, Acklington (every 4 hours), Alnmouth for Alnwick, Chathill (every 4 hours alternate to Acklington), Belford (reopened), Berwick upon Tweed, Reston, Dunbar, East Linton for North Berwick bus link, Edinburgh Waverley. Frequency every 60 minutes - could also call Prestonpans and Musselburgh if can be fitted in. Also, if this is too long a route for a local train service, this could be split at Berwick upon Tweed into two sections. If operated as the one route, this could be jointly operated by Scotrail and Northern.
I do recall reading somewhere a while ago that (pre pandemic) XC had offered to serve Reston when it reopened, but they could not do both Dunbar and Reston on the same train, hence the 2 hourly alternating pattern.
Although Edinburgh loses 1tph of the London KX trains, for end to end journeys there is the route via Preston and HS2. Also, the 2tph KX - Newcastle fits the additional third tph as mentioned a while ago, together with the retention of the London - Edinburgh etc that calls Durham and stations south of York.
1) ICEC London Kings Cross - Newcastle Central "Tyne Shuttle", non stop to York, then Northallerton (1tph) or Darlington (the other 1tph), Durham, Newcastle Central. Frequency every 30 minutes
2) ICEC London Kings Cross - Edinburgh Waverley/Glasgow Central/Aberdeen/Inverness calling stations to Doncaster, then York, Darlington, Durham, Newcastle Central, Morpeth (1tp2h), Alnmouth for Alnwick (the other 1tp2h), Berwick upon Tweed, Dunbar, Edinburgh Waverley, then odd hours to Glasgow Central calling Haymarket and Motherwell, even hours some journeys to Aberdeen and Inverness as present. Frequency KX- Edinburgh section every 60 minutes
3) ICXC Devon and Cornwall - Edinburgh Waverley via Birmingham and Doncaster calling various stations to Doncaster, then York, Darlington, Durham, Newcastle Central, Morpeth (1tp2h), Alnmouth for Alnwick, Berwick upon Tweed (the other 1tp2h), Reston (the 1tp2h that calls Morpeth), Dunbar (the other 1tp2h that calls Berwick upon Tweed), Edinburgh Waverley. Frequency every 60 minutes - runs in the opposite half hour to the London KX - Edinburgh etc between Doncaster and Edinburgh.
4) TPRE Liverpool - Newcastle Central via Huddersfield calling selected stations to Leeds, then York, Northallerton, Darlington, Durham, Chester-le-Street, Newcastle Central. Frequency every 60 minutes
5) TPRE Liverpool - Middlesbrough/Saltburn via Huddersfield calling selected stations to Leeds, then York, Thirsk, Northallerton, Yarm, Thornaby, Middlesbrough, and onwards to Saltburn. Frequency every 60 minutes - runs in the opposite half hour to the Liverpool - Newcastle between Liverpool and York/Northallerton.
6) IC Open Access London Kings Cross - Sunderland calling York, Thirsk, Northallerton, Yarm, Eaglescliffe, Stockton, and onwards to Sunderland. Frequency every 2 hours - runs in the opposite half hour to the Liverpool - Middlesbrough between York and Stockton Jct. (Possible joint operation with the OA operator and ICEC)
7) Newcastle - Berwick upon Tweed - Edinburgh local calling Manors, Cramlington, Morpeth, Pegswood, Widdrington for HMP Northumberland bus link, Acklington (every 4 hours), Alnmouth for Alnwick, Chathill (every 4 hours alternate to Acklington), Belford (reopened), Berwick upon Tweed, Reston, Dunbar, East Linton for North Berwick bus link, Edinburgh Waverley. Frequency every 60 minutes - could also call Prestonpans and Musselburgh if can be fitted in. Also, if this is too long a route for a local train service, this could be split at Berwick upon Tweed into two sections. If operated as the one route, this could be jointly operated by Scotrail and Northern.
I do recall reading somewhere a while ago that (pre pandemic) XC had offered to serve Reston when it reopened, but they could not do both Dunbar and Reston on the same train, hence the 2 hourly alternating pattern.
Although Edinburgh loses 1tph of the London KX trains, for end to end journeys there is the route via Preston and HS2. Also, the 2tph KX - Newcastle fits the additional third tph as mentioned a while ago, together with the retention of the London - Edinburgh etc that calls Durham and stations south of York.