LNER and Rail Partners Turn Summer Journeys into Reading Adventures
Families travelling on the East Coast Main Line this summer, including those visiting Edinburgh – the world’s first UNESCO City of Literature – are being encouraged to swap screen time for story time thanks to a new nationwide reading initiative launched by LNER in partnership with Northern, Southeastern, TransPennine Express and The Reading Agency.
The campaign was launched by comedian, author and Weirdos Book Club podcast host Sara Pascoe, who surprised children with pop-up reading sessions aboard train services between London, York and Leeds. The initiative supports The Reading Agency’s long-running Summer Reading Challenge, which has inspired children to keep reading during the school holidays since 1999.
Over the coming months, tens of thousands of free Summer Reading Challenge activity packs will be distributed across participating rail services and stations. Aimed at children aged four to 11, the packs include a copy of Storytime Magazine, activity sheets, stickers, certificates and other resources designed to inspire a lifelong love of reading beyond the classroom.
For Edinburgh, the campaign represents much more than a literacy initiative. By encouraging affordable family rail travel and promoting destinations connected by the East Coast Main Line, it has the potential to increase visitor numbers, boost tourism spending and support businesses across the hospitality, retail and leisure sectors. As a city renowned for its literary heritage, world-famous festivals and cultural attractions, Edinburgh is particularly well placed to benefit from initiatives that place reading and storytelling at the heart of the visitor experience.
Colette Casey, Customer Experience Director at LNER, said the partnership builds on the operator’s ongoing commitment to promoting reading, following collaborations with leading authors and research into the connection between reading and rail travel.
The initiative also comes at a significant time, with the Government backing 2026 as the National Year of Reading. Research from The Reading Agency found that 64% of parents worry their children will be bored during the summer holidays, while 68% are concerned about the rising cost of activities.
Activity packs are available onboard participating trains and at stations across the network, from Edinburgh and Newcastle to London and Margate, marking the first collaboration of its kind between the four rail operators
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