NEWCASTLE
TO YORK

Climb aboard a Class 802 of Transpennine Express for a cab ride from Newcastle to York on the East Coast Main Line. We travel at speeds of up to 125 miles an hour in the cab of this ultra-modern bi-mode train. The 802 takes its power from overhead cables on electrified lines such as the ECML, but on other routes it fires up a series of 940 hp 21 litre V12 turbo-diesel engines to generate its own electrical power, with GPS location anticipating the changes and configuring the system as required.
We leave Newcastle Central station to cross the River Tyne on the magnificent King Edward VII bridge, which dates from 1906. Then we head south, our speed increasing rapidly, with stops at Chester-le-Street, Durham, Darlington, Northallerton and York. We pass a lot of traffic travelling in the opposite direction, including Class 800, 185, 91, 220 and 802 passenger trains, and a Class 66 workhorse pulling Network Rail wagons of track ballast.
The trip is a journey through history, and at Darlington we cross the path of the world’s first public railway, the Stockton & Darlington. The East Coast Main Line has evolved across the decades, and we see the places where previous routes from York to Newcastle have been replaced by today’s electrified line. There’s a surprising number of disused junctions with long lost railways which marked the rapid expansion of the 19th century.
Enjoy full commentary throughout, narrating the sights and history along the way, and there’s a superb view from the driver’s cab.
If you prefer to relax to the ambience of the journey, you can turn off the commentary and concentrate on the views and the sound as we power our way along.