World's most famous steam locomotive set to pay Flying visit to our region - find out where and when
The most famous steam locomotive in the world is set to pass through the Borders this weekend as part of a series of events to celebrate its centenary.
The Flying Scotsman was built by the then newly-formed LNER (London and North Eastern Railway) in 1923 and served the East Coast Main Line - connecting the capitals of England and Scotland.
It was the first locomotive to officially break the 100mph barrier, and became so famous it was taken to the United States and Canada on promotional tours in the 1960s.
The Flying Scotsman also became the first locomotive to circumnavigate the world when, in 1988, it was shipped to Australia where it set a new record for the longest non-stop run by a steam locomotive at 422 miles.
In 2004, it was saved from the scrapheap following a campaign - spearheaded by the National Railway Museum - in York where, tomorrow (Saturday, July 1st), it's expected to make its way from the cathedral city (9.02am) to Edinburgh (3pm), passing Alnmouth (11.49am), Berwick Goods Loop (12.43pm to 1.48pm), and Reston (2pm) along the way.
After spending three nights in Scotland, including a trip north to Aberdeen, the Flying Scotsman will return south, back to London - from where it set off today (Friday) - on the East Coast Main Line, hauled by diesel. Tickets for the trip were on sale for upwards of £2,000.
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Meanwhile, there are fears for the future of the ticket office at Berwick train station.
Northumberland councillor Georgina Hill says staff have been informed it's set to close permanently.
And she's written to train operators LNER "seeking urgent clarification".
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“However they try to dress this up and conduct sham consultations, this is a measure to reduce staffing costs to the huge detriment of customer service and passenger experience," Councillor Hill said. Â
"No thought is being given to the elderly, those with learning and other difficulties or those who just want to speak to a human being when they navigate their travel options.Â
"Rail policy has been a disaster area under successive governments over decades and this should be considered in the context of the plan to spend £100bn on HS2."
We've asked LNER for a response.
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