Main line rail closures: How to travel between England and Scotland by train in February

Just when you thought it was safe to go back on the railway, with no future strikes currently set, Network Rail has decided to cut all direct Scotland-London links due to engineering works on 18 and 19 February.

The rail infrastructure provider is closing the West Coast main line between Glasgow and London Euston in the Preston area, while the East Coast main line from Edinburgh, northeast England and Yorkshire will not make it as far as London King’s Cross – because the terminus station will be closed.

Convoluted journeys involving rail replacement buses and multiple changes are being recommended – such as a train from Glasgow to Preston, a bus to Buckshaw Parkway, a local service from there to Manchester Piccadilly and finally an express to London Euston.

From Edinburgh, the main choices are between a convoluted journey changing at Peterborough and Cambridge – or a train to St Neots in Cambridgeshire followed by a 45-minute bus ride to Bedford and a train onward from there.

So for travellers who prefer to have their lives made easier, The Independent has come up with some alternatives. These are all for Saturday 18 February, but similar options are available for the following day.

All the rail fares are standard class adult singles, and are discountable with any valid railcard.

Edinburgh-London

Doncaster dodge

Take the 5.48am from Edinburgh – or board the same train at Dunbar, Berwick, Alnmouth, Morpeth, Newcastle (7.30am), Durham, Darlington or York (8.32am) and you reach lovely Doncaster station at 8.54am.

You have exactly five minutes to change to the 8.59am on Hull Trains, nonstop to London St Pancras in just over three hours, getting you to the capital at 12.03am. The 6h15m journey is probably the fastest you can expect between the English and Scottish capitals that weekend – for a combined fare of £67.50.

Tamworth two-step

Two changes involved to get around some bizarre pricing that weekend – which makes Edinburgh-Tamworth just about reasonable at £70.90 on most of the hourly trains, but going only as far as Derby (where you have to change to reach Tamworth) is currently almost twice as much on most of the departures.

Combine it with a £11.90 one-way to London Euston on London Northwestern Trains and you can reach the capital for £82.80. The connection at Tamworth requires a wait of almost an hour, but the…