MP welcomes rail service timetable improvements for Sleaford, Hykeham and villages
A local MP has welcomed improvements to rail passenger timetables for her constituency.
The MP for Sleaford and North Hykeham Dr Caroline Johnson welcomed the improvements by East Midlands Railway being introduced this December, which include a number of changes for
Sleaford, Hykeham, Ruskington, Metheringham, Rauceby and Swinderby.
The details have been confirmed in a letter from Managing Director Will Rogers who she met with recently to present the findings of her constituency train services survey.
Dr Johnson had been surveying constituents in villages serviced by the local trains to ask for their thoughts on current services ahead of the train timetable changes this December.
She then met with EMR to present the findings of her survey and discuss what constituents wanted to see, including more regular departures for the Lincoln to Peterborough line (including on weekends), improved Sunday services, improved timetabling for trains calling at Rauceby, more carriages on weekends and for events and later evening departures from Lincoln to Sleaford, Metheringham and Ruskington.
Dr Caroline Johnson, MP for Sleaford and North Hykeham, said: “I know that the local train services are important for many of my constituents, whether that is for work, school or leisure purposes. I received a high volume of
responses to my train services survey, which I fed back to EMR during their timetable review. I am pleased that many improvements are being made for our area and I will be continuing to work together with EMR to bring about further changes that my constituents would like to see in the future.”
EMR have now confirmed what the new timetable will look like for constituents in Sleaford and North Hykeham with some significant improvements. These include:
- Introduction of Sunday services at Ancaster and Rauceby
- 21 extra services on a weekday, 14 extra on a Saturday and 15 extra on a Sunday at Hykeham
- Standardised timetable at Swinderby - a two-hourly service in the off-peak, increasing to hourly or more regular at peak times
- Peak service from Hykeham to Lincoln increased from two to three services, with arrivals in Lincoln at 8.02,am 8.13am and 8.44am
- One additional weekday service and four additional Saturday services in each direction on the Lincoln to Peterborough line (includes Sleaford, Ruskington and Metheringham).
- Improved connections at Sleaford and Lincoln, and some timing changes based on feedback
- Commitment to explore options for later trains from Lincoln to Sleaford, Ruskington and Metheringham following feedback from Dr Johnson’s survey. They have also retimed the last train back to Lincoln on a weekday to depart nine minutes later at 9.46pm.
- A study to look at a phased improvement to Sunday services which will include Lincoln to Peterborough
Other improvements on the Poacher Line (Ancaster, Rauceby and Sleaford) will see 2.45pm Nottingham to Skegness trains additionally stopping at Ancaster on Mondays to Saturdays.
The 7.45pm Nottingham to Skegness service will also stop at Ancaster on Mondays to Saturdays, to give a later service from Nottingham and London (changing at Grantham).
They have also re-timed the 8.57am arrival at Sleaford slightly earlier on Mondays to Saturdays, with this train now arriving at 8.54am to help people arrive at school and work on time.
Mr Rogers said that to add more stops would impact arrival times and connections in Nottingham due to the limitations of the single line section between Sleaford and Heckington.
He said: “EMR has a long term strategy to transform the regional network, and we are undertaking a study to look at options for the Nottingham to Skegness route.”
He said they would like to secure funding to further improve regional services in Lincolnshire.
The current school train from Lincoln to Sleaford arrives at 8.34am, and following work with other rail operators the service will arrive earlier at 8.32am. The afternoon train from Sleaford to Lincoln had been retimed earlier causing issues for children heading home, so in December it will revert to a later departure of 4.26pm.
If you are a constituent and want to comment on these changes and other improvements you would like to see, contact: [email protected]