Edinburgh-London 4 hour rail journeys 'to be confirmed within weeks'

The faster LNER trips, which were planned for 2019 to make rail as quick as air, are now due to be introduced in December 2025 - a year later than previously expected.

Around 20 minutes is expected to be trimmed from journeys thanks to quicker-accelerating Azuma trains and track improvements on the 400-mile east coast main line, despite its 125mph speed limit remaining unchanged.

However, the time saving has been delayed by line upgrades taking longer than planned, and prolonged discussions over the allocation of time slots, or “paths”, between train operators.

Under plans that LNER had hoped would be implemented from next Sunday, one of its two trains an hour between Edinburgh and London would take four hours five minutes northbound and four hours eight minutes southbound.

However, LNER has now said these might be increased to four hours ten minutes.

That compares to an average of four hours 30 minutes, although LNER’s southbound 5.40am Flying Scotsman takes four hours, calling only at Newcastle.

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The faster services would only stop at Newcastle and York compared to multiple stops by LNER’s other trains.

Lumo, which also operates trains between Edinburgh and London, said it expected to benefit from journey time reductions of up to 14 minutes, with its fastest service taking four hours five minutes between the cities.

Faster train journeys are expected to further increase the number of passengers switching from air to rail between Edinburgh and London.

LNER said rail held 46 per cent of the market against 54 per cent for air, but it hopes to boost rail’s share to as much as 60 per cent.

The Sunday Times reported the journey time reduction would be announced this month by new UK Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander.

A source with knowledge of the plans told The Scotsman: “There should be more details this week or next week.”

An LNER spokesperson said: “Our ambition is to see fastest journey times between London King’s Cross and Edinburgh of close to four hours following any introduction of a new timetable.”

Lumo managing director Martijn Gilbert said: “We welcomes the agreement of the new timetable for the east coast main line, following a lot of cross-industry work which we have been involved with.

“The key is ensuring the new timetable plan can robustly deliver punctual and reliable services for rail users.

“Lumo will see journey times between London and Edinburgh show between a four to 14 minute improvement, depending on the time of the journey and day of the week, as all our times vary slightly.”

Mr Gilbert said he also hoped Lumo’s application to extend its services from Edinburgh to Glasgow would be approved to coincide with the timetable change.

LNER managing director David Horne told The Scotsman in January: "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.

"If you’re in Edinburgh, you’re now going to have an hourly fast service which will be quicker, or at least as quick, door-to-door as if you had been travelling by air.”

Mr Horne said the UK Government-owned operator would also up its target of rail taking a 50 per cent share of the rail/air market.

He said: "Because of the progress we have made coming out of the pandemic, and knowing that sustainability is a factor that is driving demand to trains, I think we can be more bullish than that and say we ought to be able to get 55-60 per cent or even more onto rail.”

The UK Government originally announced the journey time saving in 2013 when it ordered the Azuma fleet from Hitachi.

Ministers said then they also had an “aspiration” to speed up trips with more line upgrades to enable trains to reach 140mph.