MP fights cuts planned for main line services

AN MP says that she will fight proposed rail cuts which will affect stations across the North East.

- DANIEL HALL Reporter

Proposals for the new East Coast Main Line timetable were given the green light by the Department for Transport in December and are set to be finalised this summer. They will see LNER services increase from two trains to three per hour between Newcastle and London King’s Cross, with journey times between Edinburgh and London cut to close to four hours.

However, shorter journey times will be achieved by fewer stops at smaller stations. In the North East, Durham, Darlington, Morpeth, Alnmouth and Berwick would all see a reduction in LNER services.

Total direct services from Durham to Edinburgh would be reduced from 29 services to 17, just three of those operated by LNER as opposed to the current 15. There will also be three fewer services to Newcastle across all operators (66 to 63), with a particular concern about the 8.22 from Durham which arrives into Newcastle at 8.30.