National Express East Coast

File:Nxeclogo.jpg
File:Nxec-livery.jpg
Overview
Franchise(s)	InterCity East Coast 9 December 2007 – 31 March 2015
Main region(s)	East Midlands, Yorkshire, North East England, Central Scotland, Northern Scotland
Other region(s)	London
Fleet size	31 Class 91 electric locomotives 30 InterCity 225 sets 11 InterCity 125 (HST) sets
Stations called at	53
Stations operated	12
Parent company	National Express Group
Reporting mark	NE
Other
Website	www.nationalexpresseastcoast.com

NXEC route
Inverness Carrbridge Aviemore Kingussie Newtonmore Blair Atholl Pitlochry Dunkeld & Birnam Perth Gleneagles Dunblane Stirling Falkirk Aberdeen Stonehaven Montrose Arbroath Dundee Leuchars Kirkcaldy Inverkeithing Glasgow Central Motherwell Haymarket Edinburgh Waverley Dunbar Berwick-upon-Tweed Alnmouth Morpeth Newcastle Durham Darlington Northallerton York Harrogate Horsforth Skipton Keighley Shipley Bradford Forster Square Leeds Wakefield Westgate Hull Brough Selby Doncaster Retford Lincoln Newark North Gate Grantham Peterborough Stevenage London King's Cross

National Express East Coast is the name under which the train operating company NXEC Trains Ltd operates the InterCity East Coast rail franchise, which includes services in England and Scotland. NXEC Trains Ltd is a subsidiary of National Express Group and was awarded the East Coast Main Line franchise after the parent company of previous franchise holder GNER suffered financial difficulties. GNER continued to operate the franchise under a management contract until the new franchise began on 9 December 2007.

Service patterns

In off-peak times, there are three or four trains per hour to and from Kings Cross. The following details apply to weekday operations.

Principal routes

London–Newcastle–Edinburgh

A half-hourly service between Kings Cross and Newcastle operates for most of the day, departing from London on the hour and on the half hour. The ‘top of the hour’ departures continue through to Edinburgh (with the 10:00 keeping the traditional name Flying Scotsman), with some running on to either Glasgow Central, Aberdeen or Inverness. These trains generally run as limited-stop expresses between London and Newcastle: all trains call at York, and most at Peterborough and Darlington, though afternoon and evening departures from Kings Cross run non-stop to Doncaster and/or York. The trains leaving Kings Cross on the half hour generally terminate at Newcastle and serve other intermediate stations such as Grantham, Newark, Retford, Doncaster and Durham as well as Peterborough, York, and Darlington.

London–Leeds

The service between Kings Cross and Leeds is generally half-hourly, with trains serving most main intermediate stations.

London-Edinburgh-Glasgow

National Express East Coast operate ten trains per day between Kings Cross and Glasgow. With the upgrade of the West Coast Main Line between London Euston and Glasgow to 125mph now complete, National Express East Coast can't compete with Virgin Trains on this route when it comes to journey times (still 5hrs 30mins compared to the new 4hrs 25min time on the WCML), but they do provide a useful link from Glasgow to Newcastle and York and a secondary route for use when the WCML is closed for engineering work.

Stations served less frequently

Aberdeen

There are three trains per day each way between Kings Cross and Aberdeen, the journey time being just over seven hours. There is also one service per day arriving at Aberdeen from Leeds. These services are operated by HST sets, as the line between Edinburgh and Aberdeen is not electrified.

Inverness

A daily service operates between Kings Cross and Inverness, called the Highland Chieftain, a journey taking just over eight hours. This route is operated with diesel HSTs, as the line north of Edinburgh is not electrified.

Hull

National Express East Coast run the Hull Executive between Hull and Kings Cross, with one morning journey to London and one evening journey to Hull. Since the branch to Hull is not electrified, this route too is operated using diesel HST sets. Hull Trains run more direct services between Hull and London.

Bradford

There are two trains per day between Kings Cross and Bradford Forster Square. These are extensions of the Kings Cross–Leeds services and usually utilise the ‘Mallard’ electric sets.

Skipton

There is a morning train from Skipton and Keighley to Kings Cross with an early evening return. As is the case with the Bradford trains, this is an extension to the Leeds–London service. Though the line to Skipton is electrified throughout, the National Express East Coast service to/from the town is operated using a diesel HST because the electrical infrastructure on the Leeds to Skipton line is insufficient to support National Express East Coast's trains.

Harrogate

There is a Monday-Saturday morning HST departure from Harrogate to Kings Cross. However, there is no return journey so passengers are required to change at Leeds or York on to Northern Rail services to Harrogate.

The Saturday running of this service is the week's only National Express East Coast southbound service from Leeds not to call at Wakefield Westgate. This service departs from Leeds and heads along the Selby line to join the East Coast Main Line at Hambleton.

Future services

Lincoln

Also as part of the new franchise, National Express East Coast have promised a direct service to the city of Lincoln. This is due to happen by 2010.

Rolling stock

The new franchise inherited the rolling stock operated by GNER, which encompasses Class 43 diesel locomotives and Mark 3 coaching stock (InterCity 125), and Class 91 electric locomotives and Mark 4 Mallard coaches (InterCity 225). The InterCity 125 rolling stock is currently undergoing an upgrade to Mallard standard. In addition, the Class 43 locomotives are being re-engined as part of a life-extension upgrade. In line with the additional services in 2010, National Express East Coast will hire four rakes of refurbished locomotive hauled Mark 3 coach sets which according to the Department for Transport will be hauled by Class 90 electric locomotives hired from EWS. However, as part of the new franchise agreement, the franchise holder will be required to take part in the Intercity Express Programme, which will see a new high-speed train replace both the 125 and 225 units.

Current fleet

Class	Image	Type	Top speed		Number	Routes operated	Built
			mph	km/h
Class 43 High Speed Train		Diesel locomotive	125	200	14	East Coast Main Line	1976 – 1982
Class 91		Electric locomotive	140	225	31	East Coast Main Line	1988 – 1991
Mark 3 coach		Passenger carriage	125	200	56	East Coast Main Line	1975 – 1988
Mark 4 coach		Passenger carriage	140	225	302	East Coast Main Line	1989 – 1991
	File:Nxec-livery.jpg	Driving Van Trailer	140	225	31	East Coast Main Line	1988

Future fleet

Class	Image	Type	Top speed		Number	Routes operated	Built	Introduction
			mph	km/h
Class 90		Electric locomotive	110	177	4 (planned)	East Coast Main Line	1987 – 1990	2010
Mark 3 coach		Driving Van Trailer	110	177	4 (planned)	East Coast Main Line	1988	2010
		Passenger carriage	125	200	32 (planned)	East Coast Main Line	1975 – 1988	2010

Services Offered

National Express East Coast offers free Wi-Fi to passengers in both first and standard class.

See also

• Great North Eastern Railway

External links

• National Express East Coast official website
• Department for Transport InterCity East Coast franchise