Getting from Pimlico to King’s Cross station
I left Dolphin Square about an hour ahead of the train’s scheduled departure time and headed to King’s Cross on the London Underground. The tube is operated in an all 1ST class configuration(!) and is a great value way of getting around in London. With my Oyster card topped up with GBP 5.00 (paid for on my Amex cash-back to yield 5p return – bonus!) the trip cost GBP 2.10.
It was not too busy on the train and I had a quick chat with a nice lady sitting next to me who for some reason was carrying a large box. She was also getting off at King’s Cross but not heading to Newcastle.
London King’s Cross
It took about half an hour to reach the station and get out into the main concourse. King’s Cross has undergone something of a renaissance in recent years. There has been an extensive investment programme that has delivered a stunning new concourse, a wide variety of shops and a thorough clean up of what was once a grimy space yellowed with decades of diesel fumes.
I was greeted with this sign at the end of the tube station.
The front of the station has been cleaned up and the union flag flutters proudly. Once upon a time these windows and the roof were so grimy that they appeared yellow!
Here are some shots of the light and airy concourse.
My train was departing after a First Capital Connect operated service to Peterborough and before another East Coast operated service to Leeds. The two lines diverge at Doncaster. East Coast also operates services to Aberdeen via Dundee and Inverness via Perth.
One day I aspire to take the train all the way to Inverness. This service, the “Highland Chieftain”, takes eight hours which is significantly longer than a flight from London Heathrow to Bahrain!
East Coast is the major longhaul operator at King’s Cross. An Intercity 225 with Mallard interiors like this carried me to Newcaslte. We are lucky on the ECML that our operator takes care of the trains and keeps them clean. First impressions count and a clean locomotive and carriage exterior is just as important to me as a comfy and fresh interior.
East Coast also operate Intercity 125s. The main engineering difference between 225 and the 125 is that the former is powered by electricity delivered through overhead lines and the latter is diesel-powered. There are also some differences in the interiors, most prominently a small variation in the number of 1ST class seats, a different LOPA in 1ST and a more traditional dining car setup.
Open-access operator Grand Central are also carrying passengers northbound from King’s Cross. Like East Coast they head up to York and beyond, but they terminate at Sunderland rather than Newcastle.
Finally there are plenty of commuter trains too. These are operated by First Capital Connect and although perfectly pleasant for a daytime journey I understand that they get remarkably crowded during the rush hour.
Coming next: East Coast 1ST Class!