Rail timetable revamp announced for Lincolnshire
The regional timetable for Lincolnshire is set to be undergo improvements in December which is expected to bring significant benefits to passengers.
Taking effect from Sunday, December 14 the timetable brings a range of improvements across the Midlands designed to enhance reliability, expand capacity, and strengthen connections between communities - all while supporting the long-term economic ambitions of the region.
Will Rogers, Managing Director of East Midlands Railway, said: “Since EMR began operating in 2019 under Transport UK, we’ve increased the number of train carriages serving our Regional routes by 50 per cent. This timetable builds on this and makes best use of our available fleet and will be supported by our £28 million regional refurbishment programme, delivering a more comfortable and consistent customer experience.
"The changes are a step change for Lincolnshire and will deliver a huge boost for the region. We have worked very hard to create a timetable that puts the needs of our customers and the communities we serve first.”
He went on: “By listening to feedback and carefully considering how we can best support the region, we’ve developed a timetable that not only makes it easier for people to get around but also brings a massive uplift in capacity, particularly on the busy route between Nottingham and Lincoln. We are introducing over 20 per cent more seats on this key corridor, with more than 2,000 extra seats on weekdays alone. This investment from Transport UK and EMR will not only make it easier for people to get around but also helps create jobs, support local businesses, and bring people closer together."
Key improvements include:
- Two direct services an hour from Lincoln to Nottingham and Derby throughout the day - leading to an increase in capacity, including more than 2,000 extra seats to and from Nottingham on a weekday, and over 3,000 on a Saturday to help ease overcrowding on the route.
- A new all-day direct service from Lincoln to Cleethorpes (via Market Rasen), offering improved access to the coast and supporting the region’s growing tourism economy. - Hykeham receives a major uplift in service, with the introduction of two trains per hour on weekdays and Saturdays. - Improved service between Lincoln and Peterborough. On weekdays, customers will benefit from one additional service in each direction, removing the current long gap in the morning and offering a much more practical option for those connecting with rail services at Peterborough - including onwards to Norwich.
To allow these wider benefits, journeys from Doncaster to Peterborough will now require a change at Lincoln. This change has been made to enable improved connections at all four locations - Peterborough, Sleaford, Lincoln, and Doncaster.
For full details of the December timetable changes customers should visit https://www.eastmidlandsrailway.co.uk/the-big-timetable-change
Unfortunately, to enable this significant wider improvement there maybe slight service reductions at certain stations and changes to train times, these alterations have been chosen to limit the negative impact to customers as much as possible.