I did a trip last Monday(26th Jan) to try out the new Dec 2025 East Coast Timetable, and it showed both sides of the new timetable very well, with the outbound service 09.30 KingsCross-Edinburgh, leaving approx 30m secs early, then apart signall checks over the 2 track Welwyn North section had clear run to York, completing this section in approx 113 and a half mins, then the York-Newcastle section in approx 50 mins, then Newcastle-Edinbugh in approx 83 mins, arriving Edinburgh about 2 and half mins earl. The return 18.00 Edinburgh-KingsCross left on time, then around Drem lost time due to a supposed signal reversion, then it struggled gain any time, arriving KingsCross 29 mins late.
The outbound run showed that when a service runs in it path, and things running well, they are timed wel, and with the performance of the Azumas’s can get impressively close to the 91’s heyday, 101 mins Kings Cross-York timings on Scottish Pullmans, then the 18.00 Edinburgh-KingsCross showed how when service out of path it can quickly loose time, with first delay a TM reported signal reversion earlier on near Drem, then a local train and freight adding delay near Newcastle, then running through Darlington, instead of fast lines, then a emergency speed restriction around Peterborough, leading to just under 30 mins late arrival in to Kingscross.
Overall a good trip trying out the new timetable, with the outbound run being enjoyable, and showing the Azuma’s performance, then return run being a tropical show of how things can snowball easily on our congested railways.
The outbound run showed that when a service runs in it path, and things running well, they are timed wel, and with the performance of the Azumas’s can get impressively close to the 91’s heyday, 101 mins Kings Cross-York timings on Scottish Pullmans, then the 18.00 Edinburgh-KingsCross showed how when service out of path it can quickly loose time, with first delay a TM reported signal reversion earlier on near Drem, then a local train and freight adding delay near Newcastle, then running through Darlington, instead of fast lines, then a emergency speed restriction around Peterborough, leading to just under 30 mins late arrival in to Kingscross.
Overall a good trip trying out the new timetable, with the outbound run being enjoyable, and showing the Azuma’s performance, then return run being a tropical show of how things can snowball easily on our congested railways.