December 2025 East Coast Timetable

[ainsworth74]

Just as a reminder for discussion of non-ECML related December 2025 timetable changes we do have a dedicated thread which can be found here.

 

[The Middle]

LNER, Lumo & Hull Trains all visible on RTT now

 

[43074]

Grand Central, EMR and TPE are also in Real Time Trains

 

[Twingo37175]

Just looking at Kings Cross, on a weekday it looks like the new timetable will have more 5 car (LNER) workings (including to Newcastle) given the references to F & R on platform numbers.

 

[A S Leib]

Presumably the (re)publication of the December 2025 timetable should be coming soon, especially with LNER weekday booking currently available up until 12 December?

 

[hexagon789]

I see LUMO has two services to/from Glasgow Queen Street now.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 29 Jul 2025 ==

Presumably the (re)publication of the December 2025 timetable should be coming soon, especially with LNER weekday booking currently available up until 12 December?

You can already look at the individual services on Realtimetrains

 

[A S Leib]

I see LUMO has two services to/from Glasgow Queen Street now.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 29 Jul 2025 ==


You can already look at the individual services on Realtimetrains

I know, but I find it easier to compare journey times (or, sometimes, journey patterns) with a timetable.

 

[Class 170101]

Interestingly some LNER services are not shown with Public times on RTT whilst others are
With Public Times

Realtime Trains | 1E30 2020 Edinburgh to London Kings Cross | 16/12/2025

Real-time train running information for 1E30 2020 departure from Edinburgh to London Kings Cross on 16/12/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Without Public Times

Realtime Trains | 1E29 1925 Edinburgh to Doncaster | 16/12/2025

Real-time train running information for 1E29 1925 departure from Edinburgh to Doncaster on 16/12/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[Robski]

It'll be interesting to see if the 07:50 and 08:03 weekday southbound LNER calls at Stevenage will actually be implemented, which would give Stevenage 4 fast trains to London in the space of 15 minutes (alongside the 07:52 GN ex-Peterborough and 08:01 TL to Brighton). I thought that LNER was averse to calling southbound trains at Stevenage during the morning peak due to the risk of overcrowding?

Well that's confirmed (no set down only restrictions either).

 

[whale]

Interestingly some LNER services are not shown with Public times on RTT whilst others are With Public Times

Realtime Trains | 1E30 2020 Edinburgh to London Kings Cross | 16/12/2025

Real-time train running information for 1E30 2020 departure from Edinburgh to London Kings Cross on 16/12/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Without Public Times

Realtime Trains | 1E29 1925 Edinburgh to Doncaster | 16/12/2025

Real-time train running information for 1E29 1925 departure from Edinburgh to Doncaster on 16/12/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Unconfirmed whether those services will form part of the base timetable from day one.

 

[hexagon789]

I know, but I find it easier to compare journey times (or, sometimes, journey patterns) with a timetable.

That's perfectly fair, no problem

 

[A S Leib]

Newcastle gets an 05:26 TPE service to Edinburgh (arriving 07:15) instead of 06:28 (arriving 08:09) being the first departure. If it stays at the same time leaving Edinburgh, that could be a useful connection into the 07:30 to Aberdeen (arriving 10:06).

 

[bigmanaiq]

Sorry for not reading, don’t really have much time but can someone run me through TPE’s intended changes? Thanks in advance

 

[A S Leib]

Sorry for not reading, don’t really have much time but can someone run me through TPE’s intended changes? Thanks in advance

1tp2h Newcastle – Edinburgh instead of 5tpd Newcastle – Edinburgh and 2tpd Berwick – Edinburgh, and no other changes north of York except I think Northallerton – Darlington being LNER (hourly Kings Cross – Newcastle rather than 1tp2h York – Newcastle) instead of TPE (I can't remember if that was previously served by Liverpool – Newcastle or not).

 

[bigmanaiq]

1tp2h Newcastle – Edinburgh instead of 5tpd Newcastle – Edinburgh and 2tpd Berwick – Edinburgh, and no other changes north of York except I think Northallerton – Darlington being LNER (hourly Kings Cross – Newcastle rather than 1tp2h York – Newcastle) instead of TPE (I can't remember if that was previously served by Liverpool – Newcastle or not).

Thanks!

 

[A S Leib]

Newcastle gets an 05:26 TPE service to Edinburgh (arriving 07:15) instead of 06:28 (arriving 08:09) being the first departure. If it stays at the same time leaving Edinburgh, that could be a useful connection into the 07:30 to Aberdeen (arriving 10:06).

There will also be a 22:00 LNER Edinburgh to Newcastle arriving 23:41 (so similar times to the current August Fridays service) rather than the 21:00 ex-Aberdeen being the last departure, making it possible to leave Inverness at 17:26 and get back to Newcastle the same night.

 

[Peter0124]

1E01 (05.40 ex Edinburgh) is no longer non stop from Newcastle, now stopping at York additionally

 

[A S Leib]

Not noticeably a better local service through the East Midlands than in the draft timetable. The 07:12 (Aberdeen ex-London) is the only service of the day from Newark to Retford, and only four the opposite direction (05:50, 06:50 ex-Leeds, 08:11 ex-Hull, 22:00 ex-Leeds).

Grantham to Newark is the Aberdeen service and Lincoln ones until 13:53, then none until 19:17 (Hull, Lincoln, three to Leeds with the last at 22:51). I can't remember how it compares with the draft timetable off-hand, but Newark to Grantham fares better for most of the day. Until 09:45 the longest gap is 79 minutes, then every two hours until 15:45, but only 18:45 and 22:15 afterwards.

 

[bigmanaiq]

I thought the Kings Cross-York services were being done away with in favour of the Lincoln services alternating with Harrogates, or am I just making that up?

 

[Ze Random One]

The rush hour gap from County Durham into Newcastle seems to have been filled by an LNER extra from Darlington at 0808, calling Durham at 0827, filling the gap between the TPE and the Northern train, hopefully preventing the Northern from becoming unusably overcrowded.

 

[reecestrains]

I've just had a look at the timetable and in terms of Highland Chieftain, it looks like the 08:33 from Harrogate (arrives 11:23) goes on to do the 12:03 to Inverness 40 minutes after arriving into London.
It looks like the same other way around as well, the 07:55 from Inverness (arrives 16:02) forms the 16:39 to Harrogate which is only 37 minutes after arriving.

This is from looking at the weekday timetable and working out platform origins.

 

[ainsworth74]

1E01 (05.40 ex Edinburgh) is no longer non stop from Newcastle, now stopping at York additionally

As expected! Anyone wanting to do non-stop Newcastle - Kings Cross has until the December timetable change!

 

[FlybeDash8Q400]

As expected! Anyone wanting to do non-stop Newcastle - Kings Cross has until the December timetable change!

Could you kind of cheat and still do it on Lumo after December?

 

[duffield]

On balance it's definitely good news for me as expected - travelling from Nottingham to/from Leeds or York/Newcastle I now get hourly connections at Grantham to both routes, with change times varying from 8-30 minutes. Before it was mostly 30 minute connections to Leeds with just the odd York service. The only loss is the connections for the direct Harrogate services but each time I've used those, the train has terminated at Leeds anyhow!

 

[A S Leib]

As expected! Anyone wanting to do non-stop Newcastle - Kings Cross has until the December timetable change!

It averages 103 mph; nonstop Newcastle – Stevenage services in 2:20 or less, if there are any, will at least be faster if not longer runs.

Edit: the 16:55 Newcastle gets to Stevenage at 19:14.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 29 Jul 2025 ==

Could you kind of cheat and still do it on Lumo after December?

There'll be one more to add to the small group of services with no intermediate stops, as the 06:05 Newcastle starter (a. 09:23) won't stop at Stevenage. The 20:30 King's Cross to Edinburgh (a. Newcastle 23:08) is the only other one which won't. (Slightly annoyingly, the 20:55 / 20:33 from Kings Cross is the last Newcastle service calling at Stevenage, with services passing through at 21:22 and 22:22.)

 

[800001]

The rush hour gap from County Durham into Newcastle seems to have been filled by an LNER extra from Darlington at 0808, calling Durham at 0827, filling the gap between the TPE and the Northern train, hopefully preventing the Northern from becoming unusably overcrowded.

Good that the industry has actually listened and responded to the passengers and relevant stake holders and introduced this.

 

[OneOfThe48]

Well that's confirmed (no set down only restrictions either).

It would seem sensible to wait until the timetables/website are updated to see if they go ahead with it.

 

[dk1]

I thought the Kings Cross-York services were being done away with in favour of the Lincoln services alternating with Harrogates, or am I just making that up?

I think you dreamt that

 

[Train368]

It’s a shame to now see LNER dropping Berwick as a hourly stop. I was hoping the campaigning from Berwick councillors might have made them try and have the semi fast service stop hourly instead of only every 2 hours. I know there’s still going to be a hourly service from CrossCountry but they are so much more expensive than LNER with advance tickets. The very popular 09:41 LNER service from Berwick to Edinburgh which is usually very cheap due to only starting at Newcastle is also no longer existing. I hope LNER can still offer cheaper fares with its more limited trains stopping at Berwick.

 

[Segedunum]

Just looking at Kings Cross, on a weekday it looks like the new timetable will have more 5 car (LNER) workings (including to Newcastle) given the references to F & R on platform numbers.

Including, rather annoyingly, the 06:27 from Newcastle to London. Five would probably be fine on a Friday but Monday to Thursday I can see this being rather cosy.