Inside The Control Room: The LNER Team Geared Up And Ready For Timetable Transformation
There are just days to go until the biggest uplift in rail services in more than a decade on the East Coast Main Line. On 14 December 2025 the new timetable will see LNER introduce nearly 10,000 new services per year and more than 60,000 extra seats across the route each week.
Colleagues and experts from across the train operator have been working hard behind the scenes, which has included using cutting-edge technology to work through numerous simulations of the timetable to help refine the plans.
LNER colleagues who are based in the control room at York’s Rail Operating Centre (ROC) have been preparing for this major change for several years. The centre is the largest of its kind in the country and keeps services moving along the East Coast, including trains in the East Midlands.
The new timetable features 19 new LNER services between Newark Northgate and London King’s Cross in both directions. Retford will also see an increase in LNER services to and from London and will be around 10 minutes faster than current timings.
Grantham will benefit from additional direct services to Newcastle, York, Durham and Stevenage all day, seven days a week.
The LNER team sits alongside colleagues from fellow train operators including Northern and TransPennine Express, as well as Network Rail, enabling the industry to work together to benefit the millions of people who travel between London King’s Cross and the Scottish borders.
“The ROC is like Air Traffic Control for the rail industry” says Clive Casling, who is one of the key members of the LNER service delivery team. He has shared more than forty years of experience, working alongside specialist timetable planners, ahead of the major changes. Clive said: “We’ve got a floor of signallers. Our team manages the train services, and we’ve got a floor of operational staff who are reacting to any situations that may arise that could have an impact on trains.”
Adam Reid is part of the LNER Operational Programmes Team and has worked closely on preparations for several months. He said: “What we are building is the train service delivery of the future. We are joining together with other train operating companies and Network Rail, collaborating in a way that has never been done before. It is exciting to be part of that.”
This month, for the first time, LNER will also join Network Rail and operators including ScotRail with a presence in Scotland’s Rail Operating Centre based in Glasgow, a further investment from LNER to benefit its customers who travel north of the border.
Ben Griffin is one of ten Train Service Managers based in York, with a further eight now based in Glasgow. The role of the Train Service Manager – a newly created, expanded role – is designed to monitor the delivery of services across the whole network.
Ben said: “We are working together more than ever before, with other train operators and Network Rail – in both York and now in Glasgow. With our new Train Service Managers, we are now in a better position to manage service delivery more efficiently across the entire route.”
Nicola Mooney is responsible for making sure the new Train Service Manager team – including Ben, Stephen Gough and Laura Shield - are ready for their new roles. “From recruiting, to preparation and assessments – I've been working to make sure that the team are equipped with the right expertise and knowledge to help deliver the thousands of new services the East Coast Main Line will see each year.”
“I know the impact that we can have on thousands of people every day.” concludes Clive Casling– who has worked on the East Coast for much of his railway career, and is planning on retiring in the new year. “It’ll be a proud moment to leave the industry, having helped deliver this new timetable, as part of such a brilliant team.”
To find out more about the changes to the East Coast Main Line timetable, visit: https://www.lner.co.uk/travel-information/timetables/