Good news if you’ve been stuck refreshing the departure board lately: East Midlands Railway is restoring more of its Intercity timetable, meaning extra trains between Nottingham, Sheffield and London from Monday October 19.
The rail operator says it’s taking another step towards its full service after months of reduced timetables, with Intercity operations increasing from 92 per cent to 96 per cent of normal levels. The move follows improvements to the reliability of EMR’s fleet, achieved through ongoing work with Hitachi Rail, the Department for Transport and industry partners.
For some East Midlands travellers, that translates into a noticeably better choice of trains throughout the day. Several weekday services that were previously cut are returning, including the 13.50 and 18.10 departures from Nottingham to London St Pancras. Additional services from London back to Nottingham will also be reinstated, including the 11.35, 16.05 and 20.35 departures.
Weekend travellers are set to benefit too, with extra Saturday services returning in both directions.
Sheffield passengers will also see a boost, including the restoration of the popular 09.00 Sheffield to London service, alongside more options throughout weekends and the return of earlier and later trains for those making the trip to the capital.
EMR introduced a temporary reduced timetable earlier this year while it worked to improve fleet reliability. Since increasing services to 92 per cent in September, the operator says performance has continued to improve, giving it confidence to bring back even more trains.
Neil Grabham, Interim Managing Director at East Midlands Railway, said the additional services would offer passengers more flexibility and choice when travelling between the East Midlands, South Yorkshire and London.
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While EMR says it is not quite back to a full timetable yet, the latest changes mark another significant step towards normal service.
If you’re planning to travel on or after October 19, it’s worth checking journey planners, the EMR website or app before setting off to see exactly what services have returned.
