LNER axes services from Sunderland to London

LNER services from Sunderland to London will end in December

A train company is planning to scrap one of its train services to London due to low passenger numbers and a lack of trains.

LNER said it would no longer run from Sunderland to London Kings Cross from December, with the service instead starting in Newcastle.

The operator said the service had low passenger numbers since it was introduced in 2015 and passengers could still travel to London using other companies.

Critics of the plans said the unpopular journey times were the reason for the low passenger numbers.

The LNER Sunderland to London service runs daily, and departs from the North East city at 05:39. A return service then arrives back in Sunderland at 23:22.

The city's railway station recently underwent a major £27m refurbishment to improve facilities for passengers.

Impact on economy

The decision to scrap the service was reached following a consultation LNER carried out in 2021.

Passengers claimed the loss of the service would have an impact on Sunderland's economy, according to an LNER report.

Political representatives claimed cutting the service did not "support the UK government's levelling up agenda", the report said.

Respondents, including politicians, called for the operator to increase its number of services over more popular journey times.

Campaign group Railfuture said it did not welcome "any reduction of rail services".

"Sadly, its withdrawal means that Sunderland passengers will no longer be able to arrive into London just after 09:00," said the group's North East branch chairman Keith Simpson.

"Their earliest service will arrive about an hour later, whether they travel by Metro to Newcastle, or use the Grand Central service running direct via Hartlepool."

'Difficult decision'

In its report, LNER said it was not possible to increase the number of services, or amend the timetable, because of "limited track capacity" and it did not have enough trains.

The report said the service had low passenger numbers between Newcastle and Sunderland since it was introduced by Virgin Trains East Coast in 2015.

An LNER spokesperson said: “The once-daily services in each direction, outside of peak hours, typically see substantially fewer customers onboard as travel patterns have shifted in recent years from business to leisure."

They said Grand Central would still run direct Sunderland to London trains and the city would still be connected to LNER services via Northern Trains and the Tyne and Wear Metro.

The company did not say why it had based its cancellation on a consultation carried out more than two years ago.