longer appropriate. The opportunity was taken in conjunction with the East Coast Main Line electrification scheme, inaugurated in 1991 by British Rail, to extend the station southwards to provide more through platforms. This encroached on to land occupied by through tracks previously used by goods trains, which had seen little use since the withdrawal of many goods services in the 1960s. A new island platform was provided, built around the southern wall of the station. The two platform faces are divided so as to provide four numbered platforms, 5 to 8, generally used for local trains. Train services Newcastle is a principal stop on the East Coast Main Line. The station is operated by London North Eastern Railway. London North Eastern Railway London North Eastern Railway provides high-speed inter-city services southbound every half-hour to London (one fast, one semi-fast) as well as 3 trains per 2 hours continue northbound into Scotland. One service is also provided each evening Monday - Friday from Newcastle to Sunderland. northbound to calling at . Extra services at peak times to Edinburgh only also call at , and . At weekends, all daytime services arriving from London continue to Edinburgh. 4 services are extended daily to 1 service is extended daily to 1 service is extended daily to 1 service is extended daily to Stirling southbound to ; 1 semi-fast service calling at , , , , , , and other stations on the ECML at peak times with a journey time of approximately 3 hours 20 minutes. 1 fast service calling at Darlington and York only with a journey time of 2 hours 50 minutes. Additional services operate between Edinburgh-Newcastle/York and between Newcastle-York. Rolling stock used: Class 800s, Class 801s Flying Scotsman early-morning service, the Flying Scotsman operated by London North Eastern Railway, from Edinburgh Waverley to London King's Cross calling at Newcastle only, arriving King's Cross at 09.40; no corresponding northbound service Rolling stock used: Class 800s CrossCountry CrossCountry operates services north into Scotland, supplementing London North Eastern Railway services, and southbound there are two trains per hour to the CrossCountry hub at Birmingham New Street, from where they extend towards the South West and South Coast. northbound to Edinburgh Waverley hourly, continuing to Glasgow Central (every two hours) or Aberdeen (once daily), calling at most stations en route. southbound to the South West of England hourly, calling at Durham, Darlington, York, ,