LNER timetable/ticket availability Leeds > KX 22nd to 25th May

[Cell2025]

Hi.

Currently tickets aren't available from LNER for the above dates. Does anyone know if they are planning line closures/restrictions over the Bank Holiday weekend?

We want to book ABBA Voyage tickets but can't commit as yet.

Thanks in advance.

 

[A S Leib]

Are you trying from Leeds (looking at your location)? Looking at RTT for Doncaster on 23 May, Leeds services should be running normally, but there don't seem to be many Edinburgh services. Looking at RTT for Newcastle, there's hourly alternating Northallerton – / Darlington – Edinburgh services, with a limited service between Northallerton and York (CrossCountry and TPE seeming to run normally, almost no LNER services).

(On an irrelevant point, I wasn't expecting the LNER website to give the option of continuing on a German-language site, provided by Omio, when looking from Germany.)

 

[Cell2025]

Are you trying from Leeds (looking at your location)? Looking at RTT for Doncaster on 23 May, Leeds services should be running normally, but there don't seem to be many Edinburgh services. Looking at RTT for Newcastle, there's hourly alternating Northallerton – / Darlington – Edinburgh services, with a limited service between Northallerton and York (CrossCountry and TPE seeming to run normally, almost no LNER services).

(On an irrelevant point, I wasn't expecting the LNER website to give the option of continuing on a German-language site, provided by Omio, when looking from Germany.)

Thank you for your reply. Yes, it's from Leeds (I'll correct the title). I can't actually book for that weekend on any platform (including this site), which is not a surprise given the infor that's on the LNER site. Both bank holiday weekends currently excluded.

Availability and current exclusions​

Tickets for LNER trains are on sale up to and including Friday 5 June 2026, and usually up to three months in advance.

Tickets are available for travel up to and including:	Friday 5 June 2026
Excluded and restricted dates not yet available for booking:	1, 2, 3, 4, 22, 23, 24, 25 May 2026

 

[30907]

This gives the dates for the major blocks at the London end;
https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/travel-information/east-coast-digital-programme/

RTT implies a total block between York and Northallerton.

Suppose there were a similar block to last weekend, would your planned trip be viable (if maybe tedious)? That's the worst-case situation.

 

[Cell2025]

This gives the dates for the major blocks at the London end;
https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/travel-information/east-coast-digital-programme/

RTT implies a total block between York and Northallerton.

Suppose there were a similar block to last weekend, would your planned trip be viable (if maybe tedious)? That's the worst-case situation.

Hmmm. To make it more complicated it's the last day of the Premier League season on the Sunday in London so it's a weekend trip of some sort. But without being able to book any trains direct from London to Leeds or even view the alternatives it's difficult to tell.

I know the reasoning behind closing lines during holidays, but it seems dead rough that whenever there is one we are denied the chance to travel for leisure without making it a marathon. That said there;s nothing on the link which suggests anything for the May holidays.

Even more frustratingly I can't set up an alert on LNER because it says that tickets are available until 5th June and doesn't give me the option to query those May dates. Hey ho. I'm just a customer. I know my place .

 

[Bevan Price]

4 and 25 May are Bank Holidays - a popular choice for engineering work.

 

[D1537]

Yes, I'm travelling back from London to Northallerton on the 25th and looking at RTT at the moment the only way to do that is LNER to York, TPE to Darlington, and another LNER (an Edinburgh-Northallerton terminating train) back to Northallerton. I'm presuming that the Manchester-Redcar axis trains (and/or some buses - there's a YRK-DAR XC bus service, but that doesn't stop at Northallerton) haven't been loaded yet, because otherwise it's a very strange arrangement.

 

[Segedunum]

The altered timetable has only just been bid to Network Rail and the buses won't be in yet (pending any minor alterations from the Network Rail side). There will be buses calling at Northallerton.

It looks like CrossCountry have bid everything at once, so their buses have appeared at the same time as their altered trains.

There will be no rail service at all Northallerton to York so TPE won't be running either.

Other than some services having a different formation to usual (based on stock available south of the block) the Leeds to London service should be close to normal.

 

[D1537]

There will be no rail service at all Northallerton to York so TPE won't be running either.

So the LNER, Lumo and TPE trains that are still showing running between York and Northallerton (though not stopping at NTR) will all be removed? If so, I'll make alternative plans!

 

[ainsworth74]

So the LNER, Lumo and TPE trains that are still showing running between York and Northallerton (though not stopping at NTR) will all be removed? If so, I'll make alternative plans!

It's a total block. There be no trains!

 

[D1537]

It's a total block. There be no trains!

I did wonder why most of the southbounds terminated at NTR. I'll invoke Plan B and drive to Poppleton then.

 

[Cell2025]

The altered timetable has only just been bid to Network Rail and the buses won't be in yet (pending any minor alterations from the Network Rail side). There will be buses calling at Northallerton.

It looks like CrossCountry have bid everything at once, so their buses have appeared at the same time as their altered trains.

There will be no rail service at all Northallerton to York so TPE won't be running either.

Other than some services having a different formation to usual (based on stock available south of the block) the Leeds to London service should be close to normal.

If you have a moment could you please explain the bidding bit to this layman? Thank you.

 

[Segedunum]

If you have a moment could you please explain the bidding bit to this layman? Thank you.

So the (STP, as in Short Term Plan) timetable planning process starts well before the usual 12 week window for tickets going on sale. The deadline for an operator to send their proposed amended timetable to Network Rail is 16 weeks ahead. In some cases, Network Rail will have already sent over suggested paths or guidance on what to bid for, particularly if the changes are quite drastic and affecting all operators, otherwise its up to the judgement/knowledge of the planner (usually a bit of both).

After this, it'll get offered back to each operator usually with amendments to make every TOC's timetable fit together. The TOC will have time to review, then send back and accept/reject the proposals. Once the plan is firmed up, revenue teams can get the nod to release trains for sale.

CrossCountry have sent off everything they want to run (buses included) at once, whereas LNER will be waiting to make sure that the trains are firmed up before adding buses (in case any connections are broken by amending a train to be earlier/later, in which case you'd have to cancel and bid for the affected bus again).

Ultimately you'll still have the same outcome, as by the time tickets go on sale for the public, everything will be there (buses included). But that's why you only see part of the picture between the bidding stage (T-16) and sale stage (T-12).

 

[D1537]

CrossCountry have sent off everything they want to run (buses included) at once, whereas LNER will be waiting to make sure that the trains are firmed up before adding buses (in case any connections are broken by amending a train to be earlier/later, in which case you'd have to cancel and bid for the affected bus again).

Ah, I see. Presumably this explains why the altered LNER trains (EDB-NTR and YRK-KGX) are showing, but some trains that will presumably later be removed or amended (i.e. 1E11 or 1S15, still shown as running throughout) are still there.

 

[H F Stephens]

I understand that reservations for LNER services for the late May Bank Holiday weekend will open on Thursday 12th February 2026.

 

[Segedunum]

Ah, I see. Presumably this explains why the altered LNER trains (EDB-NTR and YRK-KGX) are showing, but some trains that will presumably later be removed or amended (i.e. 1E11 or 1S15, still shown as running throughout) are still there.

Yes, its possible that they still need to be tweaked before being offered back - but AFAIK the plan with the services north of Edinburgh is that they'll run in as close to usual path as possible (but starting/terminating at Darlington or Northallerton).

 

[Cell2025]

So the (STP, as in Short Term Plan) timetable planning process starts well before the usual 12 week window for tickets going on sale. The deadline for an operator to send their proposed amended timetable to Network Rail is 16 weeks ahead. In some cases, Network Rail will have already sent over suggested paths or guidance on what to bid for, particularly if the changes are quite drastic and affecting all operators, otherwise its up to the judgement/knowledge of the planner (usually a bit of both).

After this, it'll get offered back to each operator usually with amendments to make every TOC's timetable fit together. The TOC will have time to review, then send back and accept/reject the proposals. Once the plan is firmed up, revenue teams can get the nod to release trains for sale.

CrossCountry have sent off everything they want to run (buses included) at once, whereas LNER will be waiting to make sure that the trains are firmed up before adding buses (in case any connections are broken by amending a train to be earlier/later, in which case you'd have to cancel and bid for the affected bus again).

Ultimately you'll still have the same outcome, as by the time tickets go on sale for the public, everything will be there (buses included). But that's why you only see part of the picture between the bidding stage (T-16) and sale stage (T-12).

Much appreciated

 

[Cell2025]

Having waited and waited I asked LNER what the plans are, and, perhaps not surprisingly to regular posters here there will be no early resolution.

If I want to go down on the Friday and come back on the Saturday to Monday then I'll have two different windows. But why would I buy for Friday22nd if I'm not sure I can get back over the next three days?

"Tickets for May 22 would be released on the 26th of this month, and tickets for May 23 - 25 would be released on the 5th of March "