London North Eastern Railway

London North Eastern Railway[2] (LNER) is a British train operating company. It is owned by DfT OLR Holdings for the Department for Transport (DfT). The company's name echoes that of the London and North Eastern Railway, one of the Big Four companies which operated between 1923 and 1948.

This article is about the current train operating company. For the historical company, see London and North Eastern Railway.

London North Eastern Railway
InterCity 225 and Class 800 Azuma at London King's Cross in February 2020
Overview
Franchise(s)InterCity East Coast
24 June 2018 – present
Main region(s)
Fleet size
Stations called at55
Stations operated11
Parent companyDfT OLR Holdings for Department for Transport
Reporting markGR
PredecessorVirgin Trains East Coast
Other
Websitewww.lner.co.uk
London North Eastern Railway
 Inverness
 Carrbridge
 Aviemore
 Kingussie
 Newtonmore
 Blair Atholl
 Pitlochry
 Dunkeld & Birnam
 Perth
 Gleneagles
 Dunblane
 Stirling
 Falkirk Grahamston
 Aberdeen
 Stonehaven
 Montrose
 Arbroath
 Dundee
 Leuchars
 Kirkcaldy
 Inverkeithing
 Glasgow Central Glasgow Subway
 Motherwell
Haymarket Edinburgh Trams
 Edinburgh Waverley Edinburgh Trams
 Dunbar
 Reston
 Berwick-upon-Tweed
 Alnmouth
 Morpeth
 Sunderland Tyne and Wear Metro
Newcastle Tyne and Wear Metro
 Durham
 Darlington
 Middlesbrough
 Thornaby
Northallerton
 Skipton
 Keighley
 Bradford Forster Square
 York
 Shipley
 Harrogate
 Horsforth
 Hull Paragon
 Brough
 Selby
 Leeds
 Wakefield Westgate
Doncaster
 Retford
 Lincoln
Newark Northgate
 Grantham
 Peterborough
 Stevenage
 London King's Cross London Underground
The route map for the May to December 2019 LNER timetable
The five daily Lincoln services, which are an extension of terminating services at Newark North Gate, will go live during the currency of this timetable[1]

During June 2018, LNER took over the InterCity East Coast franchise, after the previous privately owned operator Virgin Trains East Coast (VTEC) returned it to the government following sustained financial difficulties. The DfT intended for the company to operate the franchise until a new public–private partnership could be established during 2020. However, in July 2019, it was announced that LNER had been given a direct-award to run these services beyond 28 June 2020, up until 25 June 2023,[3] making it the longest franchise on the East Coast Main Line since Great North Eastern Railway (GNER).[4] Early on, the integration of Great Northern services into LNER's operation after the expiration of the Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern franchise in 2021 was being actively considered as well.

LNER provides long-distance inter-city services on the East Coast Main Line; the principal destinations served are Leeds, York, Newcastle upon Tyne and Edinburgh. It directly manages 11 stations,[5] while its trains call at 55 stations in total. LNER's initial rolling stock consisted of a fleet of InterCity 125 and InterCity 225 high speed trains that it had inherited from VTEC. During May 2019, the first batch of Class 800 bi-mode high speed multiple units, based on the Hitachi A-train platform, entered service, followed by the very similar Class 801 electric multiple units during September of that year. Branded by LNER as the Azuma, their introduction has permitted the InterCity 125 sets to be withdrawn from service entirely, along with most of the InterCity 225s. A limited number of InterCity 225 sets have been retained and continue to be regularly operated by LNER.

History

Background

During November 2017, the then Secretary of State for Transport, Chris Grayling, announced the early termination of the InterCity East Coast franchise in 2020, three years ahead of schedule; this action had followed persistent losses incurred by Virgin Trains East Coast (VTEC), the operator of the route. VTEC had been contracted to pay more than £2 billion in franchise premiums to the British government across the final four years of its contract.[6][7]

In February 2018, the end date of the VTEC franchise was brought forward to mid-2018; the Department for Transport (DfT) had decided to either negotiate with VTEC for it to continue running the franchise on a temporary non-profit basis while a new franchise competition was conducted, or to arrange for VTEC be taken over by the DfT's operator of last resort.[8][9][10] On 16 May 2018, it was announced that the latter option was now being pursued and as such, LNER would take over operations from VTEC on 24 June 2018.[11][12] The DfT also announced that LNER would be the long-term brand applied to the InterCity East Coast franchise.[13] During a speech in May 2018, the Secretary of State for Transport stated that Great Northern services could potentially be integrated into the operation when the Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern franchise expires in 2021 as part of the overall strategy for the East Coast franchise.[14]

The setting up of LNER is the second occasion that a government-appointed operator of last resort has taken control of the InterCity East Coast franchise; between 2009 and 2015, the franchise had been operated by East Coast. It had taken over operations from National Express East Coast after that operator had defaulted on franchise payments to the government, and thus had its franchise taken away.[15] East Coast had been the prior operator to VTEC being selected to take over the franchise.[16]

Changes

A major aspect of LNER's vision for the franchise has been the rollout of the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS). David Horne, LNER's managing director, stated that digital signalling is necessary to unlock the full capabilities of its rolling stock, enabling drivers to continuously receive information in real time, yielding improvements in responsiveness, safety, and reliability over the traditional lineside signalling.[17] The company has worked with Network Rail, the British government, and the trade unions on this endeavour, and has been heavily involved in the planning and preparatory works; it has also undertaken the training of its staff in readiness for its use.[18]

By mid-2020, LNER had considerably curtailed its services in response to the significant decline of passenger travel amid the COVID-19 pandemic.[19][20] From 15 June 2020, both passengers and staff on public transport in England, including LNER services, were required to wear face coverings while travelling, and that anyone failing to do so would be liable to be refused travel or fined.[21][22]

LNER is one of several train operators impacted by the 2022–2023 United Kingdom railway strikes, which are the first national rail strikes in the UK for three decades.[23] Its workers are amongst those who have voted in favour of taking industrial action due to a dispute over pay and working conditions.[24][25] LNER appealed to the public not to use its services on the days of the strikes, as it was only capable of operating a very minimal timetable on any of these dates due to the number of its staff that participated.[26][27]

Services

As of May 2023, the off-peak and daily service pattern Monday to Friday (not including named services, see below) is:[28]

Regular services
RoutetphCalling at
London King's Cross to Lincoln1tp2h
London King's Cross to York1tp2h
London King's Cross to Leeds1
1tp2h
  • Stevenage, Grantham, Doncaster, Wakefield Westgate
London King's Cross to Harrogate1tp2h
  • Stevenage, Grantham, Doncaster, Wakefield Westgate, Leeds, Horsforth
London King's Cross to Edinburgh Waverley1tp2h
1
Irregular services
RoutetpdCalling at
London King's Cross to Bradford Forster Square2
  • Stevenage, Grantham, Retford (Bradford-bound only), Doncaster, Wakefield Westgate, Leeds, Shipley[lower-alpha 1]
London King's Cross to Skipton1
London King's Cross to Hull1
  • Peterborough (Hull-bound only), Grantham, Newark Northgate, Doncaster, Selby, Brough
  • An additional train from Hull terminates at Doncaster
London King's Cross to Middlesbrough1
London King's Cross to Sunderland1
  • Peterborough (London-bound only), York, Darlington, Durham, Newcastle
London King's Cross to Glasgow Central1
  • Peterborough, Newark Northgate, Doncaster, York, Northallerton, Darlington, Durham, Newcastle, Alnmouth, Edinburgh Waverley, Haymarket, Motherwell
London King's Cross/Leeds to Aberdeen3
  • 1 train per day terminates at Leeds instead of London King's Cross. This train additionally serves Reston.
London King's Cross to Stirling1
  • York, Darlington, Newcastle, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Edinburgh Waverley, Haymarket, Falkirk Grahamston
  1. Served to pick up only southbound and set down only northbound

An expanded service to Lincoln began on 21 October 2019, when four terminating services at Newark Northgate were extended into Lincoln.[29] This is in addition to the sole one train per day service, which in all, now provides five out and back workings to and from London King's Cross. LNER also planned for the December 2019 timetable change that a sixth return service to London from Lincoln would be introduced and five extra services on a Saturday would begin from 7 December 2019.[30] From December 2019, LNER introduced a Harrogate to London service six times a day.[31] LNER expected to introduce two-hourly services to Bradford and a daily service to Huddersfield by May 2020 when more Azuma trains had been introduced, however the latter has not yet been introduced.[32][33]

During September 2018, a proposed service to Middlesbrough was announced, though the Rail Minister, Jo Johnson, informed Parliament that this proposal was dependent on the Azumas being brought into service on the ECML, in addition to other schemes then in progress, that would provide sufficient capacity to enable the service to run.[34] This service commenced on 13 December 2021.

Named services
Further information: List of named passenger trains of the United Kingdom

London North Eastern Railway operates a number of named passenger services:

NameOriginDestinationOther details
Carolean ExpressLondon King's CrossEdinburgh WaverleyRuns from London to Edinburgh only. Named to commemorate the coronation of Charles III and Camilla.[35]
Flying ScotsmanEdinburgh WaverleyLondon King's CrossService began 1862 in both directions; named by LNER in 1924. Now Edinburgh to London and only stops at Newcastle for a driver/crew swap.
Highland ChieftainLondon King's CrossInvernessThe longest LNER route
Northern LightsLondon King's CrossAberdeen
West Riding LimitedBradford Forster SquareLondon King's CrossOperates from Bradford to London only.

Rolling stock
Three generations of East Coast Main Line trains at York. A Class 43 InterCity 125 (left) with a Class 800 Azuma (centre) and a InterCity 225 (right)

At its commencement, LNER operated a fleet of diesel-powered InterCity 125 and electric InterCity 225 high speed trains that it had inherited from VTEC. Since September 2016, VTEC had also hired three Class 90s from DB Cargo for use on services to Newark, York and Leeds. LNER inherited these locomotives and retained them until June 2019 to cover for the shortage of Class 91 locomotives.

During May 2019, the first batch of Class 800 new-build high speed trains began entering service, the very similar Class 801 trains also followed in September of that year. These units are based on the Hitachi A-train design and LNER retained the Azuma brand for the units which was originally designated by VTEC.[36] The initial operation of these units allowed the InterCity 125 and InterCity 225 fleets to be replaced gradually. On 15 May, the first Azuma train to enter service, a nine-carriage Class 800/1, was operated on the Leeds route from King's Cross.[37] Other subclasses of the Class 800 and 801 variants entered service afterwards; the first two five-carriage Class 801/1 sets entered service on 16 September, operating as a ten-carriage train; the first lot of five-carriage Class 800/2 sets entered service to coincide with the launch of the new King's Cross - Lincoln services on 21 October while the first two nine-carriage Class 801/2 sets entered service on 18 November.[38][39][40][41] By May 2021, all units in the Azuma fleet had entered revenue service following unit 800109's return to service, which was the unit involved in the derailment at Neville Hill TMD in November 2019 and subsequently had to undergo repairs.[42][43]

Following the withdrawal of the InterCity 125 fleet in December 2019, it was previously thought that the InterCity 225 fleet would be fully withdrawn by June 2020.[44] However, on 29 January 2020, LNER announced that they would be retaining a limited number of the InterCity 225 fleet to deliver all of the benefits of their December 2021 timetable.[45] In September 2020, Eversholt Rail Group (the train owner) and London North Eastern Railway extended their lease to ten units by 2023; additionally, there are options to extend the time frame up to 2024. These retained units have been subject to an overhaul performed at Wabtec's Doncaster plant.[46][47] At the end of service on 15 January 2021, the remaining serviceable InterCity 225 sets went into storage temporarily as part of the East Coast Upgrade.[48] Originally, the plan was to return the sets to service for 7 June 2021, however, the first set actually re-entered service on 11 May 2021 due to a number of Azuma sets having to be taken temporarily out of service for inspections and repairs where appropriate.[49]

During June 2022, LNER unveiled its new livery, based on the traditional British Rail-era Intercity styling, on one of its InterCity 225 sets.[50]

Current fleet
 Class  Image  Type   Top speed  Number  Carriages  Built
 mph   km/h 
InterCity 225 trains
91 Electric locomotive 125 200 12 8 sets formed of 9 carriages each[51] 1988–1991
Mark 4 Passenger carriage 73 1989–1992
Driving Van Trailer Control car 9 1989-1991
Hitachi AT300 Azuma trains
800/1 Bi-mode multiple unit 125 200[52] 13 9 2015-2018
800/2 10 5 2018

801/1 Electric multiple unit 12 5 2017-2020
801/2 30 9

Past fleet

The entry into service of the Azuma fleet allowed all fourteen of LNER's HST sets to be withdrawn from service, with the last three sets working their final services with LNER on 15 December 2019.[53] Nine of the sets transferred to East Midlands Railway, with two power cars from one set transferring to CrossCountry to supplement its existing five sets.[54]

 Class  Image  Type   Top speed   Number  Built  Carriages 
 mph   km/h 
InterCity 125 trains (HSTs)
43 Diesel locomotive 125 200 32 1976–1982 14 sets formed of 9 carriages each
Mark 3 Passenger carriage 130 1975–1988
InterCity 225 trains
91 Electric locomotive 140 225 19 1988–1991 22 sets formed of 9 carriages each
Mark 4 Passenger carriage 198 1989–1992
Driving Van Trailer Control car 22 1989-1991

Depots

LNER's fleet is stored and maintained at the following depots:

References
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  2. "London North Eastern Railway Limited: company no. 4659712". Companies House. Archived from the original on 17 May 2018. Retrieved 17 May 2018.
  3. "Services agreement relating to East Coast Franchise" (PDF). Department for Transport. 24 June 2018. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
  4. "Nationalisation of East Coast mainline extended until 2025". The Parliamentary Review. 7 July 2019. Archived from the original on 10 July 2019. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
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