The gamechanger new train service joining two UK capitals that’ll be quicker than taking plane
A NEW fast train service could soon operate between London and Edinburgh.
Train journeys between London and Edinburgh are currently served by existing routes operated by LNER, Lumo and the Caledonian Sleeper.
But according to the East Lothian Courier, a revamped rail service could soon operate between the capital cities, linking them in just over four hours.
If plans are approved by the UK Government, the new hourly service would cut journey times by 30 minutes.
The LNER trains, which will only stop at Newcastle and York along the route, are expected to take just 4 hours and 5 minutes northbound, and 4 hours and 8 minutes southbound.
The company’s managing director, David Horne, has said that the new route “will be quicker, or at least as quick, door-to-door, as if you had been travelling by air”.
While flights between Edinburgh and London typically take one hour and 20 minutes, the new train route could prove to be faster than flying when other time costs, like time spent in the departure lounge and airport security queues, are factored in.
In a statement, he said: “What we’re hoping to do, come December, is launch the new East Coast timetable, which will give you, on Edinburgh-London, an hourly service taking just over four hours, with two stops en route.
“It’s not been announced because there is a final decision to be taken by the Department for Transport (DfT).
“There’s still some work taking place by Network Rail and the [rail] industry to make sure the precise timings of freight trains can still be accommodated.”
A final decision on proposals has yet to be made by the UK Government.
If the plans are approved by all parties, the four-hour services could be in operation by December.
Ticket prices and departure times are yet to be revealed.
While the four-hour journeys were set to start in 2019, their introduction was delayed.
This isn’t the only new train service that’s been slated to launch in 2024.
A new sleeper train connecting Brussels to Prague is set to launch later this year.
Launching by European Sleeper, the sleeper train will start from March 25, 2024, and will take around 15 hours.
Other stops include Antwerp, Rotterdam, Amsterdam and Berlin before a stop in Dresden and then Prague.
And it will line up perfectly for Brits – the Eurostar currently connects London St Pancras to Brussels, which takes around 1hr56.
Passengers can then connect to the second train, where they will travel overnight.
Another route could connect Amsterdam to Barcelona by 2025.
This means Brits would be able to travel by train to the Spanish hotspot, with Eurostar services to Amsterdam.
European Sleeper previously said in a statement: “The Amsterdam-Barcelona night train will strongly improve Europe’s quality of north-south rail connections.
“Even more so because one travels efficiently while asleep on the night train, and distances are reduced to just a night away.”
Virgin Trains could soon launch between the UK and Europe, with former boss Phil Whittingham said to be taking on Eurostar.