East Coast route
The route takes in the East Coast carrying over 20 million passengers a year connecting London to Scotland.
The East Coast route includes the East Coast Main Line (ECML), which is one of the oldest and proudest names in British railway history. The line, which is the former route of the Flying Scotsman and the Mallard, connects the capitals of England and Scotland via Yorkshire, York, Durham and Newcastle.
The route starts at the famous London King’s Cross and provides local commuter links into London as well as long-distance services through Yorkshire and the North East to Scotland.
It is in the early stages of a huge £1.2bn upgrade as part of the national Railway Upgrade Plan including the King’s Cross remodelling project and East Coast upgrade which will see the replacement of signalling, overhead line equipment and a new track layout – reducing journey times, creating up to 10,000 extra seats a day for passengers, and improving reliability and punctuality.
The East Coast route is supported by the Eastern region bringing us closer to our passengers and the communities we serve, with a focus on operations to help us improve train performance.
Main railway lines
- The East Coast Main Line (ECML) from London King’s Cross to the Scottish border.
Safety
We work closely with local communities to promote safety by the railway. Find out more on our community safety page.