December 2025 ECML timetable approved

Network Rail, Department for Transport and train operators have approved the East Coast main line timetable for 2025, although work is still ongoing regarding freight paths with no agreement finalised.

The new timetable will begin in December 2025 and will see LNER run three trains per hour between Newcastle and London King’s Cross and an hourly train from London King’s Cross to Edinburgh which will stop at York and Newcastle only and is anticipated to take just over 4 hours.

LNER have also confirmed that the hourly semi-fast service between London King’s Cross and Edinburgh will call at Darlington. The operator’s proposed seven direct services per day between Bradford Forster Square and London King’s Cross has also been confirmed and will begin in May 2025. The city will be the UK’s City of Culture in 2025.

With the changes to the timetable, LNER expect to see an extra 16,000 seats per day available om LNER services.

David Horne, Managing Director at LNER, said: “This transformational timetable will guarantee thousands of extra seats each day on the East Coast route, cutting journey times and providing much needed capacity.

“With this new timetable, we’ll be able to serve many destinations more regularly and contribute at least an additional £108 million per year of economic value to the UK, while supporting greener and more sustainable journeys.

“We’re delighted to be kick-starting the transformation of our timetable by significantly increasing services to Bradford from May 2025, in what will be a very special year for the city and wider area.”

Other changes from operators have been confirmed as well including Thameslink and Great Northern increasing peak time services between Cambridge and London King’s Cross and an additional peak time service operated by Great Northern between Peterborough and King’s Cross. It had already added two extra services this year to help alleviate overcrowding whilst the ECML timetable was being recast.

Great Northern also confirmed that provision had been made to call at new Cambridge South station, which is currently being built as part of the wider East West Rail project.

East Midlands Railway have significantly altered some of its services to improve dwell times at Lincoln, Peterborough and Doncaster. As well as the Crewe- Newark Castle service being extended to Lincoln from 2025 (which is still subject to Office of Rail and Road approval), it will also be extending its Nottingham- Grimsby Town service to nearby Cleethorpes.

There are no drastic changes currently for the open access operators, other than Great Northern, although Lumo has proposed an additional early morning service from Newcastle to London King’s Cross and a return evening service, although this has yet to be confirmed. There will also be space in the new timetable for some services to be extended through to Glasgow Central, however Lumo has not put forward any service proposals yet.

The initially proposed two trains per hour between Newcastle and Manchester has not been agreed however and will not be part of the December 2025 timetable.

However, the paths available for freight are unclear under the new timetable and have been a sticking point for negotiations for the last year. RAIL understands that most freight paths have been fitted in but concessions have had to be made regarding times and routings.

Maggie Simpson OBE, Director General of the Rail Freight Group has said that there are still answers needed for freight.

“DfT may well have approved a timetable for their own passenger trains but they do not yet have a solution that works for freight. On the doorstep of rail reform, it is deeply concerning to see government prioritising its own trains ahead of those of others.”

Rail freight companies have been looking for better access to the main line as well as more favourable timings since negotations began and Simpson has said that the Rail Freight Group will challenge the DfT if a resolution cannot be found.

She added: “Freight colleagues are working hard to find a solution that works for customers but rest assured we will not hesitate to go to dispute if this cannot be achieved.”

Full details of the timetable change is below

https://ecmltimetable.info/