North East Coastliners

"A Voice for Durham Coast Rail Users"

Due to engineering work in connection with the East Coast digital signalling programme there are no trains running into Kings Cross this weekend.

All Grand Central trains are cancelled throughout

For anyone whose travel south is essential, LNER will be running an approximately half hourly service from Edinburgh to Peterborough, with alternate trains continuing to St. Neots. From St Neots there is a connecting bus service (taking 40 minutes) to Bedford for East Midlands Trains into St Pancras.

This weekend 26th/27th October and the following two weekends there is engineering work in the Eaglescliffe area. Consequently all Grand Central trains are diverted from Sunderland via Darlington & vice versa. There will be replacement buses from/to Hartlepool via Eaglescliffe to connect with these trains at Darlington. Note that the buses leave Hartlepool approximately one hour earlier (or more) than the usual train times.

Chris Brandon, GCs Head of Business Development, was guest speaker at our 8th October meeting

He gave a wide ranging, varied and informative talk around his history in the rail industry and more specifically within Grand Central.

Key points

1.GC are around for the long term, to strengthen the input to the wide rail and transport landscape.

With government policy on taking franchises into public ownership in mind there has been some internal reorganisation within the Arriva business grouping Grand Central, Arriva Train Railcare and the bus replacement business into an Arriva Rail Services group to both provide more leverage and focus in terms of development and expansion.

2.Two track access applications have been submitted

The first is an extension of the present agreement to run until 2037 and includes replacement of he 180s with new bi-mode trains for which tenders have already been sought. This application has received DfT backing. If granted it is anticipated that the new trains would be introduced during 2028.

The second is for additional services on the West Riding route, an early morning service from York to Kings Cross and late evening return, and to introduce stops at Seaham and additional stops at Peterborough. This was one of 86 applications received by the ORR following an invitation by the DfT including several new Open Access applications,

3 In the shorter term

Looking to improve both the resilience of services and customer offer.

All the 180s would have overhauled bogies and new couplings by the end of2025

Improvements to Eaglescliffe station including new booking office, car parking and lift access

The intention of TPE to call at Eaglescliffe was noted

Members put forward a case for stopping also at Stockton