Train operator East Midlands Railway (EMR) has issued a reminder to its passengers that a new timetable will take effect from Sunday 14 December.

Across the railway industry, new timetables come into force at this time each year, with operators including CrossCountry and Northern having previously announced December changes to their timetables.

The changes to EMR’s timetable include:

• There will be more than two thousand additional seats available on East Midlands Railway services to and from Lincoln on weekdays.
• There will also be more than three thousand additional seats available on these routes on Saturdays.
• New direct services, on routes where passengers previously had to change trains to get to their destination, will run between Matlock and Cleethorpes and between Crewe and Lincoln.
• Several smaller stations (Hykeham, Burton Joyce, Radcliffe, Attenborough and Spondon) will now be served by more trains.

Full details of EMR’s December timetable changes are available here.

EMR states that its new timetable brings “a range of improvements to services” across the East Midlands region. It claims that these changes will deliver wider economic benefits of £2.4 million a year. It also expects the changes to help drive long-term economic growth, and is hopeful that this will demonstrate the importance of financial investment in the railway.

EMR is owned by Transport UK, which began operating in February 2023 following a management buyout of Abellio’s British assets. It and EMR have worked together on various improvements on the operator’s network, including opening an Assisted Travel Lounge at Derby station.

Also this month, EMR will begin operating new Aurora trains on the Midland Main Line, which have more seats, spacious interiors, improved air conditioning, free WiFi and plug sockets at every seat. They also have improved passenger information screens.

“This timetable brings many changes to the way we operate our regional services and to make sure they don’t miss their service, customers are advised to visit our website or journey planners and check to see how they are affected.

“The timetable is great news for our customers and the economy of the East Midlands. It 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.

“It will realise opportunities to operate more train services across the Regional network, introduce new journey opportunities, and build-in performance improvements.”

Will Rogers, Managing Director for East Midlands Railway