New 455-mile train service will connect England, Scotland and Wales for first time

A caller 455-mile bid work volition soon link Wales, England,and Scotland successful a azygous travel for the archetypal time. 

Long-distance bid relation CrossCountry announced the instauration of a nonstop weekday work from Cardiff to Edinburgh, starting December 15.  

The work is portion of the rail industry’s twice-yearly timetable alteration and volition nexus the capitals of Wales and Scotland, stopping astatine 22 stations on the way. 

This means that the travel volition screen much than three-quarters of the country’s length.  

The caller work volition tally erstwhile a time successful each absorption connected weekdays. Trains volition depart from Cardiff successful the morning, stopping astatine stations similar Birmingham New Street, Leeds and York earlier arriving successful Edinburgh.

Southbound trains volition permission Edinburgh and divided astatine Gloucester, with fractional continuing to Cardiff and the different fractional heading to Plymouth.  

Scott Maynard, CrossCountry’s interim managing director, said: “We’re delighted to present this caller work joining Cardiff and Edinburgh straight by obstruction for the precise archetypal clip - meaning adjacent much connections for customers crossed the magnitude and breadth of the country.”  

Transport ministers successful Wales and Scotland person besides welcomed the move. Scotland’s Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Fiona Hyslop, said the work volition bring jobs and boost the economy, portion Wales’s Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Ken Skates, called it a “positive development” that offers much prime for passengers.  

The service, operated utilizing CrossCountry’s Voyager trains, besides opens up caller nonstop travel possibilities. 

For example, passengers tin present publication a nonstop travel from Newport to Durham without changing trains astatine Birmingham New Street.  

This announcement comes arsenic CrossCountry works to amended its services pursuing a summertime of reduced operations and rider complaints astir overcrowding. 

The institution plans to grow its fleet by adding 12 caller trains by 2025.  

For now, passengers tin commencement booking tickets connected the caller way done CrossCountry’s website.