York to London onboard LNER’s ICONIC Intercity 225 in First Class
Today we’ll be riding the UK’s East Coast Mainline in First Class onboard one of British Rail’s classic 1980s Intercity sets. Come with me and find out why I believe there is no better train in service in the UK today! Hello & welcome to a very Christmassy York, in the Northeast of England.
This ancient Roman settlement dates back to 71AD, with many examples of stunning architecture, both old and new spread throughout this beautiful cathedral city. York is the historic capital of the ceremonial county of Yorkshire, and is home to around 154,000 people today. While the railway first came to York in 1839,
The station has only been located on this site since 1877, just outside the historic city walls. The current building dates back to 1947, and is protected by Grade II listed status. Bus & Taxi bays can be found right outside the main entrance.
As we head in to the foyer, you can see a small supermarket, and a couple of other shops. Then on the main concourse is a staffed ticket office, many automatic ticket vending machines. There are also some more shops and eateries and a large departure board.
Our train today is the 12:02 LNER service from York to London King’s Cross. The trainshed here is one of my favourites in the UK. The stunning metal, glass and wood canopy spans eight platforms and dates back 150 years. As we’re travelling in First Class with LNER today, we get
Free access to the lounge, located on Platform 3. Bear in mind this is only for LNER First Class ticket holders, and not those of other operators who serve the station. Complimentary hot and cold drinks, and with small snacks are available here, along with comfy seating and toilets.
I grabbed a latte and a couple of small snacks, as I knew I’d be getting a meal on the train shortly too. OK let’s head over to the platform as our train will be arriving shortly. Step-free access is available to all platforms by lifts, but I’m going to take
The bridge which spans the central track section as I love the view from here 🙂 If you want AD-FREE early access to every video, great perks and to help me to do BIGGER & BETTER reviews, then become a Channel Member from just £1.99 per month.
Just click the link above now, or the JOIN button in every video. Thank you! Waiting on Platform 6 is one of LNER’s controversial New Class 800 ‘Azuma’ trains. And this is open access operator ‘Lumo’, which are actually the only train services that pass through
York non-stop, which the exceptional of the once daily Southbound LNER ‘Flying Scotsman’ service. Would you like to see a video on any of these trains? Leave me a comment below! Before our train arrives, let’s have a quick look at the route we’ll be taking down to the UK Capital today.
And here comes our ride. It’s an LNER Intercity 225 set, hauled by a Class 91 electric locomotive, which has a top speed of 225km/h (140mph), hence the name. It has a power output of 4700kW (6300hp) However, it’s top speed is limited to 200km/h (125mph),
Currently the maximum line speed away from the UK’s high-speed ‘network’… (LOL) Trailing is a rake of nine Mk.4 coaches, and a driving van trailer (DVT), which allows the set to run bi-directionally, in a push-pull configuration. Seen on the left here are the ramps that allow step-free boarding, as there are a
Couple of small steps from platform to coach. Just speak to a member of station staff if required. Luggage can be stored on these stacks at each end of the coaches, or on the large overhead racks. OK, as we’ll shortly be departing, let’s go and find our seat. I reserved this forward
Facing window seat at a table, on the single side of this 2+1 configured First Class coach. We depart around 7 minutes late, at 12:09pm. This trip from York to London King’s Cross is 303km (188mi) in distance, and is scheduled to take 2 hours and 21 minutes of travel time.
This is the slowest service between York and London, as this train stops at every station LNER serve, however it’s the only one, along with Leeds to London that these Intercity 225 sets still serve. And even then, it’s not every service.
Now on to the price. I paid £51.20 (€59.92, $64.92) for this advanced purchase ticket in First Class. I believe that’s pretty much the cheapest fare available on this route. This is fixed to this specific train, and is non-flexible. LNER have recently had a shake up of many of their core fares
Under the guise of ‘making things simpler and easier to understand’. In reality, all it’s done is remove some popular flexible ticket options and raise the prices for pretty much everyone. It’s an absolute sh1tshow and LNER should be ashamed of themselves. The train will be calling at Doncaster, then onto Retford, Newark Northgate, Grantham,
Peterborough, Stevenage and London King’s Cross, where we’re now due to arrive… at 14:30. Apologies for the slightly late departure from York today, this was due to the train being delayed on its way into York on the previous journey. And we do have refreshments available on-board, a complimentary at-seat service
In First Class, and we also have our Food Bar open in Coach H, towards the centre of the train, serving a selection of hot and cold refreshments. Please note the Food Bar in Coach H is card or contactless payment only. All announcements are made in English only.
We are soon out into the open Yorkshire countryside, and accelerate up to our maximum speed today, of 200km/h (125mph). OK, let’s check out the seats! I think they are excellent, with great padding, a good ergonomic shape and slightly winged headrests.
The armrests are adjustable, and the seat can be reclined by pushing this button, and shuffling the base forward. The legroom is good, even with someone sitting opposite you. There is a large and sturdy fixed table, with conveniently placed UK 3-pin power sockets located underneath.
Up above, you’ll find personal reading lights, curtains and coat hooks on the wall. Overall, I really love the First Class on these Intercity 225 sets. Do you know of any better in the UK? Leave me a comment below! The complimentary service starts with a drinks round. I went for
The Signature LNER beer, which I absolutely love! The food is then delivered. Normally there would be some hot options available, but unfortunately not on this service, due to staff shortages apparently. However the Christmas cheese sandwich, crips and chocolate pot were delicious! I’ll link the current menus below, as they’ve changed since filming. This
Was actually the last day the 2023 Christmas menu was being served. Our first stop today is Doncaster. Fun fact: This is one of only 15 stations in the UK that have a Platform Zero, seen here on the far left. Doncaster is home to the Doncaster Works railway factory, which started producing rolling stock
And locomotives in 1868. Both ‘Mallard’ and ‘Flying Scotsman’ were built here. It’s also an important junction station, connecting the East Coast Mainline with the Hull, Sheffield, Lincoln and Grimsby lines. Let’s go and check out a bit more of the train. You can find small toilets in every coach.
These were fully working, stocked up and pretty clean on the whole. I also love the artwork on the back wall! Next up is ‘The Foodbar,’ which serves hot & cold drinks, snacks and sandwiches for the passengers travelling in Standard Class. There’s no dining area, so you take them back to your seat.
Moving through now to Standard Class. There is an accessible toilet on the left hand side here, and then two wheelchair spaces directly beyond this. Tables, power sockets and an emergency call bell are available. The rest of the seating is in a 2+2 configuration with these red cloth seats.
Legroom is a bit tight for me at 185cm (6’1), but the seats are comfy and all have power sockets and tray tables. You can also scan this QR code to order food directly from the full selection on offer at the Foodbar, and they’ll deliver it to your seat.
Advance purchase tickets in Standard Class start from around £25.00 (€29.16, $31.64) for this route. There was a lot of flooding in this part of the UK over Christmas and the New Year, as evident here on the approach to Newark, with the River Trent having overflowed into the strategic flood plains.
Look left immediately after crossing the river and you’ll see the last remaining ‘flat crossing’ on a UK mainline, where the Newark to Nottingham lines crosses the East Coast Mainline at a near 90 degree angle. Newark is a town of 30,000 people, and along with excellent rail and river links,
It’s located on the main A1 trunk road, between London and Edinburgh. Moving on, we call at Grantham, and then approach Stoke Bank, another important UK railway location. It was here in 1938 that the A4 Class steam locomotive, ‘Mallard’ achieved the world steam record of 203km/h (126mph). This has never been surpassed.
We cruise through today, 86 years later, at the same speed, with our Class 91 electric locomotive barely breaking a sweat. On the approach to Peterborough, we pass the new GB Railfreight depot. GBRf are one of the UK’s largest rail cargo operators with around 200 locomotives on their active roster.
Following Peteborough, the train will call at Stevenage and at London King’s Cross only. If you’re leaving us do mind the gap between the train and the platform edge. And once again, apologies for the slightly late running of this service today.
This was due to the train being late on its way into York on a journey earlier on today. As we pull into the station, we see one of the Thameslink Class 700, 12-car EMUs on the adjacent platform. Peterborough is a city of 180,000 people,
And is the northernmost terminus of the London Commuter network on the East Coast Mainline, with these Class 700 trains operating a half hourly service to Horsham via Central London, 7 days a week, from around 4am every morning, until 1am the following day. On departure from Peterborough, look right to see the Thameslink sidings,
And also the Railworld Museum. Here they have the only remaining Tracked Hovercraft vehicle which was part of an experimental program to introduce 400km/h (250mph) intercity travel in the UK over 50 years ago. However, this project was deemed unfeasible, and shelved in 1976.
If you want to see my review onboard the Great Western Railway Class 800 from Cardiff to London Paddington in First Class, click the link above now! Free WiFi is available for all passengers, and it was a decent speed. 4G signal is also good throughout the route.
I have to say the ride quality is excellent compared to the Class 800 series trains and also the staff were fantastic on this service, despite being seriously busy. I guess it helped that the train was pretty quiet, but they kept offering drinks top ups after every stop. Hot chocolate for me this time.
Our final calling point today is Stevenage, a town of 95,000 people located around 45km (28mi) north of central London. It’s probably most famous for being the birth place of 8 times Formula 1 World Champion, Lewis Hamilton. We are now approaching the major choke point of the East Coast Main Line.
That is the dual track section between Knebworth and Welwyn Garden City stations. It wouldn’t be half as bad if Welwyn North station wasn’t located right in the middle of this section. It really needs to be closed, but there has been much local opposition from some very influential locals.
However, the main reason this section hasn’t been quad tracked is due to the, Digswell viaduct which we are crossing now. This impressive structure opened in 1850 and is 475m (1,560ft) long, and constructed of 40 brick arches at a height of 30m (100ft) over the Digswell Valley.
Right, so as we are now inside the M25, London’s outer ring road, we are fast approaching the end of today’s journey, so let me give you my summary on the LNER Intercity 225 service in First Class, from York to London King’s Cross. I had a fantastic trip! I make this journey quite
Often and it’s so much more pleasant on this train, that on the New Azuma sets. The seats are much comfier, the ride endlessly better, and it’s just a very nostalgic experience that reminds me of my childhood. The complimentary service is also very good,
With a large choice including vegetarian options, hot, cold and alcoholic drinks. The attentive staff also went the extra mile and made this a journey to remember. If you can bag one of the advanced tickets, it can also be great value for money,
However it’s increasingly hard to do this, so try and book as early as possible, as you can’t rely on the good value off-peak flexible tickets any more. We arrive into London King’s Cross around 7 minutes late, at 2.30pm. If you’re looking for the cheapest seat on this route,
Then definitely look up the open access operator Grand Central, who frequently have Standard Class seats for less than £20.00 (€23.41, $25.33) on advanced purchase tickets. Have you been on any of Intercity trains in the UK? Which one did you do, and how did you find it? Let me know in the comments below!
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Hello and welcome back to the UK, to ride my favourite train in the country!
Today, we’ll be heading from York down to London King’s Cross onboard the amazing Intercity 225 in First Class. These fabulous trains and soon to be on the way out of service for good, so let’s go and check them out together!
Date of Filming: 3/1/24
Camera: GoPro Hero 12 Black
Operator: LNER (London North Eastern Railway)
Departure: York, UK
Arrival: London King’s Cross, UK
Cost: First Class – £51.20 (€59.92, $64.92)
To check out my GWR First Class review, click here:
Here’s a link to the LNER First Class menus:
https://www.lner.co.uk/the-east-coast-experience/first-class/menu/
Here’s a link to the LNER Foodbar menu:
https://www.lner.co.uk/the-east-coast-experience/the-east-coast-standard/catering/
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00:00 – Intro
01:00 – Arrival at York & Station Tour
02:35 – First Class Lounge
03:58 – Route Information
04:50 – Train Arrival & Details
05:30 – Boarding & First Impressions
06:25 – Departure from York & Pricing
08:10 – First Class Seat Tour
09:02 – Complimentary Food & Drinks Service
09:30 – Arriving at Doncaster
10:15 – Train Tour – Toilets, Dining Car & Standard Class
11:58 – Newark Flat Crossing & Station
12:55 – Stoke Bank – Mallard World Steam Speed Record!
13:26 – Peterborough Station & Rail Museum
15:00 – #trainwindowviews
15:50 – Stevenage Station & ECML Chokepoint
17:18 – Trip Summary
18:28 – Arrival at London King’s Cross
19:10 – Outro
32 Comments
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Great video !!
I remember when the 225's were introduced in the 1990's (not 80's). They were not wholly popular – especially compared to the HST's they were replacing once the ECML was electrified. Remember going to Leeds on one not long after they were introduced. Told a story by the person I was meeting that a 225 service he was on ground to a halt as the pantograph had fallen off…
Bro said 8 time world champion Lewis, he’s right
Great video & good value for money. Loved the Lewis Hamilton mention – have to agree with you !! 🙂
Great video ❤️
Completely agree. The 225 sets are great. Fastest time for me KGX – York was on a non-stop Grand Central HST. 1'40"
Well, one more proof that newer isn't always better.
Has the British Railway system partially changed to right hand traffic?? At least on the line showed in the vid it looks like. 🤔
For me HST is still no1! not least because MK3's ride much better then MK4's i.m.o.
Excellent train. But for the cost.
Increasingly, only the rich would be able to travel in trains like these. I wonder if the public has a problem with that, surprisingly.
*6 times world champion.
I remember travelling on them in 1999 beetween London and Leeds. Unfortunately, as a student, I couldn't afford first class. I found the seats in standard somehow underwhelming compared to the Inter City 125 sets. These leather armchairs just look great. Not like today where the tendency seems to be a 2 + 1 layout but with quite narrow seats.
An idea for a video is that you should do a video of a train across a few different countries. For example, the United Kingdom via France to Germany
How can a train be the 'best' when it can only run on less than 1/3 of the nation's network??
You can also get a very similar experience on the TfW MK4 sets, they're using former Virgin and Grand Central MK4 sets pulled by class 67s, the ex-Virgin sets have the exact same interior as this train. They also retain the at seat food delivery. They run them on the Manchester to Cardiff route and the Holyhead to Cardiff route. Though the speeds are lower, the MK4s are limited to 80mph max in in Wales and between Crewe and Shrewsbury, they'll do some 110mph running between Crewe and Manchester.
Great video. I concur with the title of the video. These Class 91s offer superb ride quality in Mk4 rolling stock when compared to the Azumas. 35 years since they were introduced on the ECML they are still going strong. My first ever Class 91 trip was in 1995 from London to Leeds. I travelled to Glasgow and Edinburgh from 1996-2005 when it was GNER. Great memories. Thanks for sharing
If LNER is pricey at 51 pounds, then Avanti must be highway robbery. I spent 91 pounds on a first class ticket from London to Crewe in February, booked on literally the first day the tickets went on sale.
I rode that model of train years ago and was very impressed …. It was an GWR variant .
One of the best trains I have ever used .
Not going to lie, I'm actually pretty jealous. I'd like to make this trip. Hopefully next time I'm in the UK I'll give it a try.
hi
Food offering in First Class was a bit poor however (ah! staff shortages – when have we heard that before!)
Yes, the 225's are far nicer to ride than the Azumas, so ride them while you still can.
Lucky, I spot them at York alot but whenever I go to York I don't see them..I go to Leeds instead 😮
You got decent WiFi on LNER? Lucky! Last time I used them it was basically unusable and I gave up and just used intermittent 4G. And that was on a train less than half full.
You forgot to mention The York Tap pub at the station.
I do think before Virgin Trains West coast lost the franchise they had the best service on arguably the most comfortable trains.
I have been on a intercity 125 and they were very good trains to ride on
The London-Paris Eurostar is better
"8-time World champion"
That decrease in the number of subscribers earlier today? That was all your dutch subscribers 😉
Sounds like privatization of your rail network is not doing well.
Correct. Yes, 8. Well done.