InterCity 225 Trains Return to East Coast Main Line to Newcastle

InterCity 225 trains have made a return to the East Coast Main Line, marking their first regular appearance on the route in five years.

The iconic trains, which operated services between London King’s Cross and Newcastle for decades, were largely withdrawn in 2020 following the introduction of LNER’s Azuma fleet. Since then, they have primarily been used on services to West Yorkshire.

Now, as part of LNER’s latest timetable changes, the InterCity 225 is once again running between London and Newcastle.

From Monday 30 March, the trains are operating the weekday 14:33 service from London King’s Cross to Newcastle, with the return journey departing Newcastle at 18:27. Weekend services have also been introduced, with departures from King’s Cross at 12:33 and return services from Newcastle at 16:27.

The reintroduction comes as part of LNER’s December 2025 timetable overhaul—its most significant in a decade—which has delivered a range of additional services across the network.

Among the changes are five new weekday services, including a new direct return route between London King’s Cross and Harrogate. This service departs London in the early afternoon and returns in the early evening.

Passengers are also benefiting from expanded early morning and late-night options, including additional services from King’s Cross to Leeds, new connections from Doncaster to London, and extended evening services—one of which now continues through to Edinburgh.

The return of the InterCity 225 offers a blend of increased capacity and a nod to the heritage of the East Coast Main Line, alongside the modern Azuma fleet that now forms the backbone of LNER’s operations.