York to London onboard LNER’s ICONIC Intercity 225 in First Class

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!

By the way, I’m always open to new  video ideas, so send me a DM on   Instagram or Twitter if there’s anything  you really want to see on the channel… Don’t forget to subscribe as I  publish a new review every Friday,   thanks for watching and I’ll see you next week!

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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