EMT urges improvements to trains and services

EAST Midlands Trains says decisions on the acquisition of new rolling stock and service enhancements need to be taken now, to speed up and improve services. At the launch of the new

A Railway for Growth report, published on September 16, EMT Managing Director Jake Kelly said: “We are at a critical crossroads for rail services in the East Midlands, and we have a great opportunity to work together now to secure the improvements needed for this railway.

“The message we are hearing from local stakeholders is very clear. If we are to build on the big progress made in recent years, we need to take action to ensure communities and the economy in the East Midlands benefit from further improvements and we don’t lose out to other regions.

“While there are major improvement plans with HS2 and electrification that we fully support, the proposals we have put together with our stakeholders would deliver fast improvements for our customers and communities while offering value for money for the taxpayer.

“We need to be loud and proud about the improvements that we would like to see and that our customers deserve. Now is the time to ensure that new trains and extra carriages can be secured for this rail network.”

A fleet of new bi-mode trains is called for, with the report arguing that life extension of Class 43 High Speed Trains beyond 2020 is “unlikely to represent value for taxpayers”. It also suggests that the HSTs will be very unlikely to meet journey time requirements.

The reports says a plan must also be developed to provide more trains for regional services, to cater for expected growth.

Additional regional rolling stock is particularly needed between Matlock, Derby and Nottingham, Derby and Crewe, Lincoln and Grimsby, Nottingham-Mansfield and Worksop, and Nottingham and Skegness.

In order to attract passengers from cars, better connections from Leicester, Derby and Nottingham to Manchester and Liverpool will be important, as will an improved timetable between Doncaster, Lincoln, Spalding and Peterborough.

Aspirations identified by stakeholders include a 1hour 50minute journey time from Sheffield to London, with times of 90 and 60 minutes from Nottingham and Leicester to the capital. Later evening trains, improved weekend services,

better airport connections and more northbound connectivity from Luton, Bedford and Northamptonshire are all sought by stakeholders.

The report argues that the value to the wider East Midlands economy of an electrified railway “cannot be disputed”, and that additional track between Bedford, Kettering and Corby, as well as line speed improvements at Leicester and Market Harborough, is vital.

It also says that additional Thameslink trains on the Midland Main Line should not run at the expense of longer-distance intercity services, and that a cascade of older and slower trains for the East Midlands would “almost certainly” put plans for a six train-per-hour service at risk.