In an effort to mitigate the effect on passengers during disruption to services, London North Eastern Railway (LNER) ran one of its Azuma trains from Finsbury Park to London Liverpool Street during the early hours of this morning, Friday, 14th July.

The trial run took place to determine the long-term feasibility of diverting services during periods of planned disruption or when significant engineering works were taking place.

London North Eastern Railway normally operates services between London King’s Cross and its stations on the East Coast route, but as part of its strategic contingency planning the company is investigating the potential feasibility of whether, in certain instances, Liverpool Street could be used as an alternative.

On this first verification run, the trial used a bi-mode Azuma set that departed from Finsbury Park in the early hours of this morning and arrived at London Liverpool Street station in self-power (diesel) mode. Onboard the train was a specialist team that conducted a number of checks and assessments in support of the verification exercise.

However, there will need to be a significant amount of detailed testing, validation, and review before any proposals to redirect London North Eastern Railway trains can be considered.

Today’s trial was the first of a number of compatibility stages that will need to be carried out to support approval for London North Eastern Railway to operate its services across the proposed contingency route.

To maintain passenger services and minimise road travel during periods of planned engineering works, London North Eastern Railway regularly uses various diversionary routes, including via Lincoln, the Durham coastline, and Carlisle.