New East Coast Timetable from May 2011
New East Coast Standard Pattern Timetable for May 2011
A new timetable is being developed which will improve rail services on the East Coast Main Line.
The new timetable will deliver 25 extra East Coast services, thousands more seats, and faster journeys.
It will also improve connections, make better use of the existing track space and introduce a new direct link between Lincoln and London King’s Cross for the first time in years.
The new timetable will be implemented in May 2011.
Before finalising the details of the new timetable, East Coast is seeking views from passengers and other stakeholders on the emerging proposals. East Coast will publish a full version of the proposed timetable on 1 February 2010 and consultation will continue throughout February. In addition to the information published on the East Coast website, consultation events are being arranged along the line of route to allow passengers to put their views directly to East Coast’s managers.
The final detailed timetable will be developed by Network Rail is also subject to the Office of Rail Regulation approving Access Rights.
Please click the links to the following press releases:
Department for Transport
East Coast
Key features of the proposed timetable are:
• A standard service pattern for most of the day where trains will run at the same times in each hour, with some 2-hourly variations where necessary to match demand.
• One fast train per hour between King’s Cross and Edinburgh, with a standard journey time of 4 hours 20 minutes.
• A second train between King’s Cross and Newcastle, extended to Edinburgh in alternate hours, serving most intermediate stations and giving an increase from 17 to 20 trains per day between London and Edinburgh.
• Two trains per hour between Leeds and London, with a standard journey time in both directions of 2 hours 10 minutes.
• A new service between London and York in alternate hours, calling at most intermediate stations and providing good connections at York.
• A new service between London and Lincoln on alternate hours, introducing regular through services for the first time in many years.
The timetable will also include through trains to the following locations:
Aberdeen: 3 trains per day to/from London and 1 train per day to/from Yorkshire;
Inverness: 1 train per day to/from London;
Glasgow Central: 1 train per day to/from London;
Hull: 1 train per day to/from London;
Skipton: 1 train per day to/from London
Bradford Forster Square: 1 train per day to/from London
Harrogate: 1 train per day to London
Dundee: 4 trains per day to London
Most of East Coast’s current services between Glasgow Central and Edinburgh will be replaced by Cross Country services. Most passengers between Glasgow and London use the West Coast Main Line, but there is significant demand for travel between south-west Scotland and north-east England which is better served by Cross Country trains which will also provide new through journey opportunities between Glasgow and Leeds, Sheffield and the Midlands.
The following standard service pattern is proposed:
Northbound
Southbound
This pattern of services will operate on a 2-hourly cycle for most of the day.
During the morning and evening peak periods at King’s Cross, the service pattern will be amended to include some additional services and to vary calling patterns to match demand. The total number of peak services proposed is:
*One morning peak service from Leeds will call at Wakefield Westgate only to allow a journey time to King’s Cross of under 2 hours.
**One service in each direction between Edinburgh and King’s Cross will call at Newcastle only with a view to meeting the Secretary of State for Transport’s aspiration for a journey time of under 4 hours.
The following first and last trains are proposed:
***Later departures from Edinburgh are proposed at 20:40 to York and 21:40 to Newcastle.
Proposals for weekend services are still being developed. Initial thinking is that the levels of service should be:
Saturday
• 2 trains per hour between King’s Cross and Edinburgh, calling at Peterborough, Newark (hourly), Doncaster, York, Northallerton (2-hourly), Darlington, Durham (hourly), Newcastle, Alnmouth (2-hourly), Berwick upon Tweed (hourly).
• 1 train per hour between King’s Cross and Leeds, calling at Stevenage, Peterborough, Grantham, Retford, Doncaster, Wakefield Westgate.
• 1 train per 2 hours between King’s Cross and Lincoln, calling at Peterborough, Grantham and Newark.
• Finish of service around 1 hour later than at present.
Sunday
• Saturday level of service up to around 16:00
• Full weekday service level of 5 trains per hour with peak enhancements from around 16:00
• Start of service around 1 hour earlier than at present.
Next Steps
Passengers and other stakeholders are invited to submit their comments on the new timetable proposal to East Coast.
ORR is expected to publish its Directions in February 2010
East Coast will continue to develop the new timetable with Network Rail, the Department for Transport and other industry partners.
Further details of the proposed timetable will be published on 1 February 2010.
Consultation will continue throughout February and comments received will be taken into account in further refinement of the proposed timetable.
Network Rail will produce a consolidated timetable for all train operators later in 2010.
The final timetable will be published in Spring 2011, leading up to implementation in May 2011.
