London North Eastern Railway (LNER) is taking over the
running of your East Coast Mainline services from 24 June 2018.
We want to reassure you that your journeys on the East Coast
Mainline won’t be affected.
Tickets, timetables and train services will all stay the same
even though a different operator will be in charge.
There will be a short transition period. So please carry on
using Virgin Trains East Coast’s
customer and ticket booking services in the usual way
until the transition is complete.
Everyone involved in your East Coast Mainline services and the
move to a new operator is committed to making this work with no
impact on train operations, your travel and the service you
receive.
Tickets
Is my ticket still valid?
Yes it is. All tickets bought are still valid for the dates shown
on the ticket. This includes all season tickets and all
pre-purchased tickets.
Will my ticket for future travel still be valid
on LNER services?
Yes it is. All tickets bought for future travel will still be
valid for the dates shown on the ticket.
What happens if I want to buy a ticket in advance for a journey
with LNER?
You can still buy and book tickets for future travel in the same
way you do now, via the Virgin Trains East Coast
website. Tickets you’ve bought for travel before the change
in operator will be accepted on LNER services.
Will there be any changes to ticket prices?
There will be no immediate changes to ticket prices. Any future
changes in price will be in line with normal market practice.
I have travel vouchers from a previous refund. Will these be
honoured by LNER?
Yes, you can still use your travel vouchers, they will remain
valid up to their expiry date.
My journey is partly on Virgin Trains East Coast and partly on
another train operator, is my ticket valid?
Yes, nothing will change. All valid tickets will continue to be
accepted as they would have been on Virgin Trains East Coast
services.
No, trains will continue to run as normal and no disruption is
expected as a result of the change in operator. The timetable and
train times scheduled will remain the same
under LNER.
Any planned engineering works will still go ahead so services
will be impacted on those dates as planned. You should check
the Virgin Trains East Coast
timetable information before you travel for journey
updates.
Will I still be able to claim compensation if my train is delayed?
Yes, you are still entitled to claim compensation for journeys
that are delayed by 30 minutes or more on the route. Find out
more about delay repay.
Information about claiming compensation for
delayed LNER trains will be
available on the LNER website
once LNER have started
operating the service.
Will food and drink still be available on the train?
Yes, the catering on trains will carry on as normal.
Can I still bring my bike?
Yes, the arrangements for carrying bikes, luggage, dogs etc. will
stay the same.
What about seat reservations?
Just like your tickets, your reservation will stay the same and
remain valid.
I have booked assisted travel. Do I need to re-book?
No, you do not need to rebook. All your travel arrangements will
be carried forward and the change of operator will not affect
your journey.
About the transfer to LNER
No, nothing will change immediately. Until the transfer
to LNER,
Virgin Trains East Coast will continue to operate the services
you use as normal.
What will change on transfer to LNER?
There will be no change to the running of the trains. Services
will continue to operate as usual and there will be no impact on
customers.
Following the change of operator, trains on the East Coast
Mainline will operate as LNER, rather than Virgin
Trains East Coast.
What is happening to the staff who work for Virgin Trains East
Coast?
People who are directly employed by Virgin Trains East Coast will
transfer over to LNER. No disruption is
expected to services as a result of this transfer and you will
continue to receive a high quality service from experienced
staff.
Will the train company name change?
Yes, Virgin Trains East Coast trains will
become LNER.
Will the trains look any different?
The trains will gradually transform to display LNER branding. There
is not expected to be any disruption to services as a result of
this change of brand.
What is the Intercity East Coast Franchise?
The Intercity East Coast Franchise operates on the East Coast
Mainline route between London Kings Cross to Hull, Leeds,
Harrogate, York, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness and
Aberdeen.
The Intercity East Coast Franchise has been operated by Virgin
Trains East Coast since 2015. Virgin Trains East Coast is owned
90% by Stagecoach plcand 10% by Virgin Trains
Group.
What is happening to the Intercity East Coast Franchise?
The Department for Transport has set up a new publically owned
operating company, LNER Ltd, to run the trains that are currently
operated by Virgin Trains East Coast.
