- Extra trains to be introduced between Newark and Nottingham
- Faster trains and new peak services between Nottingham and Lincoln
- Additional trains for Hykeham passengers
- New timetable will start in May 2015
East Midlands Trains has announced a package of improvements for passengers travelling between Nottingham, Newark Castle and Lincoln, thanks to over £2m of local and central Government funding.
A combination of extra carriages and timetable enhancements will see faster journey times introduced on many services between Nottingham and Lincoln and additional trains between Newark and Nottingham. The new timetable will also deliver extra services for passengers in Hykeham as well as stations between Nottingham and Newark Castle including Carlton and Burton Joyce.
Our proposals have been developed in partnership with the Department for Transport, Nottinghamshire County Council, Lincolnshire County Council, Nottingham City Council, Lincoln City Council, Newark & Sherwood District Council, North Kesteven District Council, Gedling Borough Council as well as the Local Enterprise Partnerships for Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire (D2N2) and Lincolnshire.
These proposals will help support the Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire communities in 2015, as the nation starts the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta, with the Magna Carta 800 celebration and the exciting opening of the Newark Civil War Centre.
Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said: “I know how important good rail links are for communities like Newark and Lincoln, which is why we are investing record amounts to deliver better services across the country and boost growth as part of our long-term economic plan.
“Having visited the region this summer, I was struck by the case for making these improvements and I am pleased that passengers will soon benefit from these additional services and faster journey times.”
David Ralph, Chief Executive of D2N2, the Local Enterprise Partnership for Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, said: “We really welcome the news of these improvements being given the go ahead. It is long overdue.
“We have been working closely with partners to make this happen. It has been a clear priority of our Local Enterprise Partnership and it has now been realised.
“Connectivity is crucial to economic growth in the D2N2 area. The line was included in our Strategic Economic Plan as a priority action and we have been a strong supporter of improvements, connecting Lincoln, Newark and Nottingham.”
David Horne, Managing Director for East Midlands Trains, said: “The East Midlands region is home to some of the UK’s most important cities and towns and we have had a long standing aspiration to improve the train service between Nottingham and Lincoln – two of the region’s major cities.
“The introduction of these new services will provide our customers and the communities on our network with the improvements that this region deserves and will help to deal with the increasing number of passengers using this vital rail corridor.
This is a significant step forward for our customers and we would like to pay tribute to all the local authorities, the Department for Transport and the Members of Parliament on the line, for their support in helping us to deliver these timetable enhancements.
The cross-party group of MPs including Robert Jenrick, Lilian Greenwood, Mark Spencer, Vernon Coaker, Karl McCartney and Stephen Phillips have worked tirelessly with us to secure these improvements.”
The key improvements to be introduced from May 2015 are:
- Additional 24 trains every weekday between Newark and Nottingham
- Faster journey times on 16 Nottingham-Lincoln services
- 11 additional daily stops at Hykeham
- Extra morning and evening peak train between Lincoln and Nottingham
- Extending the Matlock-Nottingham services to Newark Castle, providing 13 additional trains per day from Nottingham to Newark Castle
- Providing additional calls at all of the intermediate stations between Nottingham and Newark Castle
