30.09.14
More East Midlands train services under £2m package
A £2m package of improvements for rail services in the East Midlands has been announced by the Department for Transport.
The funding comes from both local and central government pots and is for East Midlands Trains to provide a combination of extra carriages and timetable enhancements on services between Newark and Nottingham and Nottingham and Lincoln from May 2015.
The improvements include an additional 24 trains every weekday between Newark and Nottingham; an extra morning and evening peak train between Lincoln and Nottingham; faster journey times on 16 Nottingham to Lincoln services; 11 additional daily stops at Hykeham; and extending the Matlock to Nottingham services to Newark Castle to provide an additional 13 trains from Nottingham to Newark Castle per day.
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.”
The proposals are intended to 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 opening of the Newark Civil War Centre.
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.”
East Midlands developed the proposals 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 and Lincolnshire.
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