By Train from Edinburgh (United Kingdom) to York (United Kingdom)

The typical train service from Edinburgh to York 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 (or occasionally 2) 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 the cheaper Advance ticket prices, 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 York that each specific departure is scheduled to call at.

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.

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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: Durham and/or Darlington

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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 York:

(1) Edinburgh Waverley station has a fabulous location in the heart of the Scottish capital, and York 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 York the railway lives up to its name of the 'The East Coast Mainline'.

It's a journey of three phases:

(1) Most of the journey between Edinburgh and Alnmouth is beside the coast

The sea views kick in before the train has even left Edinburgh behind -  and they 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.

(2) Between Alnmouth and Darlington the railway snakes its way through the towns and cities of north-east England, and just before Newcastle station  on the left there are views of the city's iconic Tyne Bridge

The next highlight of the journey is the passage over the River Tyne, as the train departs from Newcastle Central station and heads over the King Edward VII Bridge.
Looking to the left, five other bridges that span the river can be seen.

Around 15 mins after leaving Newcastle comes the final highlight of the journey - the stunning views over the city of Durham.
Over on the left before and after the station, the town's stunning castle and cathedral can be clearly seen in all their glory.

(3) The train will attain the highest speeds of the journey as it races across the flat landscape between Darlington and York.

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If when you board, you discover that your assigned seat(s) are on the right-hand side of the train, when facing the direction of travel, see if you can find available seats on the left 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.

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More general information about travelling by train in England, Scotland and Wales is available on this guide to British train travel.