Northern Lights (train)

The Northern Lights is a named British passenger train operated by London North Eastern Railway. It runs daily in each direction between London King's Cross and Aberdeen via the East Coast Main Line and Edinburgh to Aberdeen Line. The northbound service departs London King's Cross at 10:00 am, and the southbound service departs Aberdeen at 09:52 am. The route is one of the longest in Britain[citation needed] at 523 miles (842 km) and the train takes just over seven hours to cover the journey. London North Eastern Railway operates another two services in each direction between London and Aberdeen as well as one each day to and from Leeds.[1]

Northern Lights
Overview
Service typePassenger train
Current operator(s)London North Eastern Railway
Former operator(s)
Route
TerminiLondon King's Cross
Aberdeen
Distance travelled523 miles (842 km)
Average journey time7 hours
Service frequencyDaily
Train number(s)1W11 (previously 1S11) (northbound)
1E15 (southbound)
Line(s) used
Technical
Rolling stockClass 800 Azuma
Operating speed125 mph (201 km/h)
The Northern Lights
route map
Aberdeen
Stonehaven
Montrose
Arbroath
Dundee
Leuchars
Kirkcaldy
Inverkeithing
Haymarket
Edinburgh Waverley
Scotland / England
Berwick upon Tweed
Newcastle
Darlington
York
London Kings Cross

Operation

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Presently both of the services are operated by a Class 800 Azuma. This is a bi-modal train due to the line being diesel only beyond Haymarket, with the train being on electric power to and from the latter.

Current
Family Class Image Type Top speed
mph km/h
Hitachi AT300 Class 800 Azuma   Bi-mode multiple unit 125 200

Until December 2019, the Northern Lights service was operated by an InterCity 125 HST for a number of years until the whole fleet of HSTs were replaced by the Azuma fleet.

Past
Trainset Class Image Type Top speed
mph km/h
InterCity 125 Class 43   Locomotive 125 200
Mark 3   Passenger coach

References

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  1. ^ "Our timetables". www.lner.co.uk. Retrieved 15 March 2020.