Rail operator challenged on ‘negative’ timetable changes in Berwick

Labour’s David Smith, who represents North Northumberland, met with officials from Network Rail and LNER to call for new investment into the rail system.

It comes after changes on the ECML which will see additional services between London and Newcastle at the expense of fewer stops at smaller stations when the changes come into force in December.

The move has prompted outcry from North East leaders and rail campaigners. Mr Smith said the changes would have a negative impact on Berwick in particular.

Speaking at the town’s railway station, he said: “I have had a meeting with LNER, Network Rail and politicians including from across the border. We were challenging them on timetable changes and the negative impact on Berwick, especially on the weekend.

“We don’t have the services that we need in order to take advantage of the cultural offer that we have in the town. We also argued for greater rail infrastructure investment over the next few years.

“That is something we will be following up on as we go forward to make sure we get the investment we need to ensure we have the local and regional transport services we need.”

LNER has previously said the changes will boost the economy and support greener journeys. The timetable introduces an extra 16,000 seats per day on the operator’s services, with 37 additional services on weekdays.

Journey times between Edinburgh and London will be cut to close to four hours. It is hoped that faster journeys between Edinburgh and London could see rail’s share of the travel market between the two cities rise to 60%.

Following the meeting, an LNER spokesperson said: “LNER will continue to serve Berwick-upon-Tweed with services throughout the day. We’ve also worked closely with other rail operators to make sure there is strong local and national connectivity.

“We recognise the changes may not satisfy everyone, but the industry timetable will be of benefit to the greatest number of customers across the north. Under the plans, LNER will operate 11 direct services a day from Berwick-upon-Tweed to London King’s Cross, with nine services in the opposite direction.”

A Network Rail spokesperson added: “The new East Coast Main Line timetable’s introduction follows £4 billion investment over the past decade and will mean over 60,000 more seats a week and 10,000 new services a year on the route.

“A new timetable of this scale is a complex undertaking and is never without trade-offs, but we have worked collaboratively with the broader rail industry to ensure that changes are part of a wider effort to support network performance and increase reliability, setting us on the path to provide further journey improvements in the future for the passengers and communities we serve.”