Due to the oddity of train timetables and my attempt to make the most of the day, Episode 15 of Exploring the East Coast actually started midway through Episode 16, with me catching a train from East Linton. A short ride four stations back down the East Coast Mainline (ECML) brought me to Wallyford, the first of two stations being covered in this episode and from where I could to the other, Musselburgh.

Another trip to Scotland provided the opportunity to tick off a couple more stations on the East Coast Mainline (ECML) with another episode of Exploring the East Coast. With England completed back in the last episode, episode 13, the number of stations left to complete is dwindling. This episode will cover both Dunbar and, at the time of visit, the ECML’s newest station at Reston.

Back in March I based myself in Newcastle for a couple of nights to complete some more stations for Exploring the East Coast, leading to both episode 12 and this one (episode 13). You can also check out the videos for both on my YouTube channel. The key feature of both episodes was poorly timed and infrequent trains, so its only right that this one started with an 0557 departure from Newcastle.

At the end of March I jumped onboard an LNER service to head north and spend a couple of nights in Newcastle. As much as I love Newcastle, my stay was not to enjoy the city itself but to travel on some horrendously timed trains and explore some more the of the East Coast. Six stations were ticked off over the course of the trip, but this episode of Exploring the East Coast covers three of them: Alnmouth, Acklington and Widdrington.

As you may have seen on my social media, I’ve made six visits to Scotland in the first four months of 2023 for a mix of work and leisure. Back at the end of February I was north of the border for work but had some spare time one morning and so decided to do a quick trip over south side of the Firth of Forth to do an Exploring the East Coast.

For episode 10 of Exploring the East Coast, it was time to head south from Peterborough once again to tick off the final six stations on the southern section of the East Coast Mainline (ECML). Not only were these the last six stations to do in the southern section, they were in fact the last six stations south of Morpeth, meaning episode 11 onwards would mean some trips based out of Newcastle.