UK December 2025 rail timetable: what changes from 14 Dec

The UK December 2025 rail timetable comes into force on Sunday 14 December 2025, bringing timetable changes across parts of the national network, as outlined on the National Rail timetable changes page.

The largest package of updates is on the East Coast Main Line (ECML) timetable changes, described by the industry as the biggest overhaul on the corridor in more than ten years. The shift follows a decade of work backed by East Coast Upgrade investment (4 billion GBP), referenced in a Network Rail Media Centre update.

East Coast Main Line (ECML) timetable changes and capacity

The revised plan is intended to add capacity, improve journey times and expand direct links for passengers travelling between London, Yorkshire, the North East and Scotland. The industry says the changes will deliver more than 60,000 extra seats per week on ECML routes.

This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

Weekday daytime long-distance services between Newcastle and London King’s Cross will increase by 46%, strengthening connections between the North East, Yorkshire, Scotland and the capital. Journey times on some services will fall by around 15 minutes between London and Edinburgh, while selected London–Newcastle and Edinburgh–York trains are due to be about 10 minutes quicker.

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Operator updates: LNER, Northern, TPE and East Midlands Railway

For Sundays, LNER Sunday services Bradford Forster Square–London King’s Cross will operate six trains in each direction.

Regional and inter-city changes include new and expanded frequencies from several operators. Northern will introduce an hourly fast service between Leeds and Sheffield and add more trains between Middlesbrough and Newcastle, a change also noted by Railway Supply. TransPennine Express will raise its Newcastle–Edinburgh Waverley service to eight trains per day in each direction from Monday to Saturday, and seven each way on Sundays.

East Midlands Railway will increase frequency on the Nottingham–Lincoln route from one to two trains per hour between Monday and Saturday. The operator says this will provide more than 2,000 extra weekday seats and around 2,500 additional seats on Saturdays.

Wider network changes and Cambridge South station calls

Network Rail Eastern regional managing director Ellie Burrows said the industry has spent years preparing for the timetable shift, which will “unlock thousands more seats, more frequent trains, and quicker journeys” on the East Coast Main Line. She added that the priority is continued collaboration to deliver the long-term benefits of the biggest change in over a decade for passengers and the communities we serve.

Across the wider network, the December update includes more Avanti West Coast services from London Euston, particularly on the London–Liverpool route, and additional open-access services from Grand Central, Hull Trains and Lumo. The timetable also includes provision for a future Stirling–London Euston service.

The timetable changes also factor in future infrastructure. Cambridge South station calls (from summer 2026) are planned for passing services operated by Greater Anglia, Great Northern, Thameslink and CrossCountry once the station opens.

Transport for Wales will introduce two trains per hour between Chester and Wrexham from Monday to Saturday. It will also implement a new timetable on the Heart of Wales line between Swansea and Shrewsbury, increasing the number of through services to five per day and adding its first Sunday service to Coryton.

Most updates begin in December 2025, although a small number of services will be phased in during 2026 to support a stable introduction. Passengers are advised to check the latest details with their operator or via the National Rail Journey Planner before travelling.

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