The typical train service from Edinburgh to Newcastle has never been more frequent and it now comprises four trains per hour during the day - the departures become less frequent after 18:00.
The four departures consist of:
2 x trains operated by LNER, most of which will be the
Azuma trains, but
other trains are also still used on some departures.
1 x
train per hour operated by TransPennine Express
1* x train per hour operated by CrossCountry and it uses both
125 trains and
Voyager trains on this route.
Which company and train is used on each departure won't particularly impact on ticket prices, travel at quieter times and you'll be more likely to find cheaper Advance tickets, irrespective of which train is being used for a departure.
The train you will be travelling by also doesn't particularly impact on the journey times, as they all follow the same route.
What affects the journey times is how many stations between Edinburgh and Newcastle that each specific departure is scheduled to call at.
Though LNER operates most of the faster non-stop trains.
Though if the prices are similar across the departures when looking up the journey, ShowMeTheJourney's preference is to avoid the trains operated by Cross Country.
The other trains on this route are more modern and have more comfortable ambience than the Voyager trains which CrossCountry uses on some departures.
............................................................
Final Destination:
London King's Cross (and Leeds) - the LNER trains
Liverpool Lime Street - the TransPennine Express trains
Penzance or Plymouth or Bristol or Birmingham - the CrossCountry trains.
Some trains also call at: Berwick upon Tweed and/or Alnmouth
............................................................
Type of Scenery: Coast
Senic Rating: ***
Aside from environmental considerations there are three very good reasons for opting to take the train from Edinburgh to Newcastle
(1) Edinburgh Waverley station has a fabulous
location in the heart of the Scottish capital, and Newcastle station also offers easy access to the city centre
(2) Now that TransPennine Exress has also begun to operate trains on this route, they are now more departures than ever before to choose from, when travelling by train between these cities.
(3) Very few routes taken by trains between cities are as fabulous as this journey!
Because for the majority of the train ride between Edinburgh and Newcastle the railway lives up to its name of the '
The East Coast Mainline'.
The trains take a route on which the coast can be seen before the train has even left Edinburgh behind - and the sea views intially continue until south of Dunbar.
To the north of Berwick-upon-Tweed the train will travel across the clifftops as it crosses the border into England - these are the most dramatic coastal views on the journey (though they are tricky to photograph).
Minutes after the train has passed through Berwick-upon-Tweed, the next highlight is the view from the majestic
Royal Border Bridge.
Between there and Alnmouth there are views on the left over the dramatic Northumberland coast.
............................................................
If when you board you discover that your assigned seat(s) on the left-hand side see if you can find available seats on the left hand side of the train.
If you move to a different seat(s) it won't affect the validity of your ticket.
The sea views on this journey are on the left.
If your ticket(s) don't include reserved seats, then try to choose seats on the left - when facing the direction of travel.
--------------------------------------------------------
More general information about travelling by train in England, Scotland and Wales is available on this
guide to British train travel.