England, Scotland and Wales are will be connected by one direct train for the first time, passing through 455 miles of the UK.
Long-distance train operator CrossCountry has announced it will be running a direct train between the three countries starting Sunday, 15 December, connecting the capitals of Wales and Scotland directly, whilst also making stops in England.
Spanning over three-quarters of the UK’s length, the new service will be operated on the Voyager trains that are used for the majority of CrossCountry’s long-distance services.
Services will depart from Cardiff and Penzance in the morning, passing through Birmingham New Street before proceeding north to Edinburgh.
Those travelling southbound can pick up the service at Edinburgh before travelling onwards to Gloucester where the service splits in two; half of the train will travel on to Cardiff whilst the other half will terminate in Plymouth.
Along the routes, the train will stop at a total of 22 stations. The hope is that the service will not just benefit long-distance travellers, as there will also be new direct journey options for passengers to book across the route.
There has not previously been a direct service from Cardiff to stations beyond Derby on the route. For example, Newport to Durham is one completely new direct combination that misses out on the typical transfer at Birmingham New Street.
There will be one direct service in each direction on weekdays between Cardiff and Edinburgh, calling at stations such as Cheltenham Spa, Leeds, York and Durham.
Transport ministers in both Scotland and Wales are pleased that the service is being introduced. Scotland’s cabinet secretary for transport, Fiona Hyslop, said it will have a “positive impact for jobs and local economic growth”.
Wales’s cabinet secretary for transport, Ken Skates, said the new service will offer more choice for passengers and described connecting Edinburgh and Cardiff as a “positive development.”
Scott Maynard, CrossCountry’s interim managing director, said: “We’re delighted to introduce this new service joining Cardiff and Edinburgh directly by rail for the very first time – meaning even more connections for customers across the length and breadth of the country.
“Thanks to colleagues across CrossCountry and the wider rail industry for their support in delivering these new services linking two of Great Britain’s capital cities, as well as many other key towns and cities in between.”
CrossCountry implemented a temporary timetable throughout the summer into late autumn, running reduced services on several major routes while they assessed how to make changes and create a more resilient service.
The train operator announced plans earlier this year that it was going to add 12 extra trains to its fleet by May 2025, but passengers have complained of overcrowding on board their trains during the reduced service timetable.
UK Transport Minister Louise Haigh said she had “had little choice but to approve” CrossCountry's reduced timetable back in August. She added that said she only accepted it because it would give passengers more certainty on which services would run.
“In response, I want to put on record my serious concern about the performance of CrossCountry services,” she said. “Your passengers have been suffering from a substandard service for too long and I am determined to address this.”
CrossCountry has acknowledged the capacity issue on their trains, and also said its service had “fallen below the standards our passengers should expect from us”.
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