December 2020 timetable consultation is now open

Monday, 25 November 2019

  • Major changes planned for East Midlands Railway (EMR) services from December 2020
  • Includes thousands of extra seats and quicker journeys to and from London St Pancras International
  • Consultation runs for 12 weeks and closes 14th February 2020

The public consultation into EMR’s December 2020 timetable is now open to passengers, businesses, stakeholders and local communities across the East Midlands route.

December 2020 will see a significant change to EMR services, particularly those travelling to and from London St Pancras International. It includes the segregation of services between EMR Intercity and the introduction of a new service, EMR Electrics, which will run between Corby and London St Pancras International.

Combined, these changes will provide:

  • Up to 30 minutes’ quicker journey times for some EMR Intercity services
  • Up to 13,000 additional standard class seats to and from London St Pancras every week day
  • Earlier morning and later evening services
  • Simpler and more consistent timetable with a more even spread of departure times
  • Improved services for London Luton and East Midlands Airports

There are also proposals for improvements to EMR Regional services, including:

  • Extending Crewe to Derby services through to Newark Castle, providing additional service between Derby and Nottingham
  • Later evening services between Leicester and Nottingham
  • Services from Grimsby will extend to Leicester every two hours, providing the first direct service to Nottingham and Leicester for over a decade

There are further timetable improvements proposed which are a step towards a more substantial improvement for EMR Regional services in December 2021. A further consultation for these changes will take place towards the end of 2020.

The consultation runs for 12 weeks and will close at midnight on 14th February 2020. The consultation document and survey for responses are available online at www.eastmidlandsrailway.co.uk/december2020

The consultation document is split by line of route and includes a separate page for each station on the Midland Main Line. This is intended to help passengers and communities easily understand what the proposals will mean for them and their journeys.

Julian Edwards, Managing Director, East Midlands Railway, said: “Our proposals for the December 2020 timetable would deliver a step change in capacity, improve journey times and introduce a simpler and more consistent timetable.

“Although some of the changes, such as the introduction of electric services between London and Corby, are a requirement of our franchise there is still the opportunity to fine tune and improve our plans.

“We know how important a reliable and punctual railway is for the towns and cities we serve. December 2020 is a vitally important part of our promise to deliver more seats, more services and better journeys for our customers and we look forward to your feedback.”

To read the proposals and respond to the consultation, please visit www.eastmidlandsrailway.co.uk/december2020