Times are Changing on the East Coast as LNER Gears Up for Timetable Transformation

Departure times will be changing for services across the route as part of the biggest transformation in more than a decade following strong passenger growth in recent years. For LNER customers, the timetable will see nearly 10,000 new services per year and more than 60,000 extra seats each week*, meaning faster and more comfortable journeys, and 21 per cent more LNER trains to and from London King’s Cross per weekday.  

There’ll be an increase in services between Newcastle and London King’s Cross from two to three per hour in each direction. They are among 32 additional LNER services to and from London King’s Cross each weekday from December, with more services to follow in 2026. Extra services will also be introduced on weekends.  

An hourly service between Newcastle and London King’s Cross, taking just under 2 hours 50 minutes southbound, calling at York only, will operate seven days a week.  

LNER has recruited hundreds of additional colleagues, from drivers to onboard crews and station teams in preparation for the major change – a third of whom will be based in the North East. LNER already employs around 800 colleagues in the north in these roles. 

David Horne, Managing Director at LNER, said: “The new timetable will enable us to serve many destinations more frequently and guarantee thousands of extra seats each day, providing customers with more choice when it comes to greener and more sustainable journeys.

“As an industry, we’ve been preparing for many years, and we continue to work together to deliver the biggest timetable change in more than a decade for our customers and the communities we serve. LNER has worked closely with other rail operators to make sure there is strong local and national connectivity.” 

The 60,000 extra seats per week the new timetable will deliver is enough to fill St James’ Park, or the Riverside Stadium in Middlesbrough nearly twice over.  

Independent research shows there will also be significant benefits for the regional economy, generating at least an additional £13 million per year, on top of the £479 million that investment and spending on LNER services already delivers for the North East.   

Ian Thomas, Chief Operating Officer at destination development agency NewcastleGateshead Initiative said: "This new timetable for the East Coast Main Line is hugely welcome news for North East England, as we continue our mission to double the value of our visitor economy and inspire more people to experience everything our region has to offer. 

"With increased frequency, more services, faster journeys and a leap in capacity, from December, visitors will have more opportunities than ever to explore our vibrant towns and cities, take in our glorious countryside and experience our stunning coastlines. It's fantastic to see that these changes have also resulted in a raft of new employment opportunities in the region and that it will be catalyst for increased investment and economic growth, creating real opportunity in North East England." 

The December 2025 timetable has been developed through extensive collaboration with Network Rail, train operators and the Department for Transport, with experts using cutting-edge technology to work through numerous simulations of the timetable to help refine the plan.  

The transformation is a result of £4 billion invested on the East Coast Main Line over the past decade across track and train and has been developed to meet the needs of the greatest number of customers. 

Paul Rutter, Route Director, East Coast Route, Network Rail, speaking on behalf of the rail industry, said: “The new December 2025 timetable will unlock thousands more seats, more frequent trains, and quicker journeys along the East Coast Main Line. Our priority now as an industry is to reliably deliver this transformative timetable in December, setting us on the right path to provide further journey improvements in the future for the passengers and communities we serve.”  

This is the biggest timetable change in more than a decade, with the majority of new services starting in December. A small number of services will be introduced in a phased way between December and spring 2026. The phasing will help with the efficient introduction of the new timetable.  

LNER will be holding a series of customer roadshows at a number of stations over the next few months to share further information about the changes. 

Further details about the full December 2025 timetable, including station by station information, can be found here.