The Anonymous Widower

London And Newcastle In A Day By Lumo

On Monday, the weather for yesterday in the North-East seemed set fair, I was able to get tickets on Lumo both ways for a reasonable price and the new Northumberland Line had opened.

So I decided to go for it.

My outward journey was on the 10:45 and the return was on the 17:52, which gave me more than enough time to take a train to Ashington and back.

I took these pictures as I arrived in and changed cmy trains at Newcastle.

Note.

1. The weather in Geordieland was gorgeous.
2. Is there another station in the UK, with an approach with such a large number of bridges over a large river.
3. I took the bridge pictures from the lobby of the train.
4. The blue railway bridge is on the East side of the train.
5. The modern road bridge is on the West side of the train.
6. In The Bridges of Newcastle, there are more pictures of Newcastles’s bridges.
7. To change trains, I had to cross from one side of the station to the other on a stiff bridge without lifts.
8. The Northumberland Line trains run every thirty minutes.

These are some further thoughts on Newcastle station, which I will write later.

Timings Going North

The train left Kings Cross at 10:45½, which was just thirty seconds late.

It arrived in Newcastle at 13:48, which was four minutes late.

The journey time had been three hours and two and a half minutes.

Timings Going South

The train left Newcastle at 17:52, which was on time.

It arrived in Kings Cross at 21:17, which was thirty-three minutes late.

The thirty-three minute delay, must raise the possibility of delay repay.

It does!

Three Hours London Newcastle?

These timings must raise the possibility of a sub-three hour time. on the train, between London King’s Cross and Newcastle stations.

The digital signalling that is currently being installed, with perhaps a few timetable tweaks should do it for both Lumo and LNER.

Could The Trains Absorb The Airline Passengers?

Consider.

• In 2023, 437,735 passengers flew between London Heathrow and Newcastle airports.
• This is just 1,200 passengers per day.
• A five-car Class 803 train has 403 seats.

It would appear that a few extra trains and some targeted marketing, could convert London and Newcastle into an all-electric train route.

Seats

Train seats are a bone of contention to many rail passengers these days.

I first rode on Lumo to Scotland in 2021 and wrote about it in London To Edinburgh On Lumo, where I was fairly complimentary about the seats.

They certainly are better than some train seats I have ridden in.

Am I Tired Today?

Not particularly! But I wasn’t very energetic during my four hours in the North.

Tickets For Onward Journeys

The main purpose of my trip was to ride the Northumberland Line to Ashington.

I made the mistake of not buying my ticket for the second train in London, as I hadn’t realised that my train from London and the Ashington train used different sides of the station.

• It was a stiff walk for me between trains.
• In order to buy a ticket, you need to pass through the barriers twice to get to the ticket office or a machine.
• There was no ticket facilities on the far side of the station, where the Lumo train arrived.
• The ticket machines didn’t accept contactless cards.
• Information was lacking.

The outcome was that I nearly missed my train to Ashington.

So to be sure of catching your connection, if you are changing trains at Newcastle, make sure you buy your tickets before you leave your first station.

 

December 19, 2024 - Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Ashington Station, Class 803 Trains, Contactless Ticketing, Delay Repay, Heathrow Airport, King's Cross Station, LNER, Lumo, Lumo King's Cross And Newcastle, Newcastle Airport, Newcastle Station, Northumberland Line (Newcastle And Ashington/Blyth), Rail Delays, Ticketing