Quicker trains to London introduced
Services will head through Kettering and Wellingborough
East Midlands Railway (EMR) is to offer significantly improved Sunday Intercity journey times as part of its December timetable change - starting this weekend.
The 12 Sunday services will benefit from quicker journeys, with some services on the Midland Main Line being cut by as much as 28 minutes.
Will Rogers, Managing Director at East Midlands Railway, said:
“This is great news for customers who use our Intercity services on Sundays.
“In addition to speeding up 12 journeys, which will encourage more people to travel by rail, the changes will also enable critical track maintenance work and deliver annual savings to the taxpayer—balancing the need for long-term infrastructure improvements with passenger experience.”
Mark Budden, Route Director for Network Rail in the East Midlands, added:
“Like all things, the railway needs to be maintained and improved, and the majority of this work needs to be carried out when trains are not running to keep everyone safe.
"These changes to the timetable are a real testament to the work between EMR and Network Rail. As well as faster journeys, it should also mean more reliable services because Network Rail teams will have more time to carry out maintenance on a crucial part of the line."
The enhancements, which are made possible by working in collaboration with Network Rail, will require the closure of tracks for maintenance and will result in the removal of two early Sunday morning services. This will give Network Rail more time to carry out maintenance work.