A new low-fare rail route connecting London to Edinburgh is set to launch in 2021 - with fares as low as £25 each-way.
FirstGroup, the company who will run the train, has announced an order of five new electric trains that can run at up to 125 miles per hour and will take four hours to get between the cities.
Beginning in autumn 2021, the new rail route has been created with the aim to reduce the number of flights between the two cities - London airports currently occupy the top four destinations that planes from Edinburgh Airport fly to.
FirstGroup report that two-thirds of journeys between Edinburgh and London are made by air - but with its trains averaging less than £25 each-way, the company are hoping to change that.
Managing director of FirstGroup's rail division, Steve Montgomery, said in a statement: “There’s a real gap in the market for truly affordable rail travel between the two capitals – our plans show we are serious about competing with low-cost airlines and opening up rail travel on this key route to thousands of new passengers."
As the trains are electric, they will be more environmentally friendly, quieter and - as they've been purchased from the Japanese company Hitachi - have been inspired by Japanese bullet trains.
Five trains a day will run each way from King's Cross to Edinburgh and the service will call at Stevenage, Newcastle and Morpeth in Northumberland.
Trainline currently offer tickets from London to Edinburgh from £26.50 each-way when bought in advance, yet train tickets for the same route can reach over £100 each-way during busy periods.
