East Midlands Railway (EMR) has made temporary timetable changes from today (Monday 13 July) as a result of the hot weather.
This summer’s heatwaves have reduced the availability of trains, with some needing extra checks and maintenance.
EMR, which is operated by Transport UK, is reducing its services on some routes. It also reduced services last week and over the weekend.
EMR plans to run a full Connect service, but has reduced its Intercity timetable, removing some services throughout the day.
In addition, Robin Hood Line services between Nottingham and Worksop, and Nottingham to Leicester stopping services, will not run after 12:00. Services between Liverpool Lime Street, Nottingham and Norwich will run between Norwich and Sheffield only.
The operator believes that by making reductions to a small number of services, it can manage the availability of its fleet and make trains available if further disruption occurs.
EMR is monitoring conditions, working closely with Network Rail and its fleet contractors. By doing so, it hopes to return to its usual timetable as soon as possible.
The operator is advising its passengers to check their journey in advance, and to travel during the morning if possible, as temperatures will be lower before noon. It is also urging people to carry plenty of water to stay hydrated, wear lightweight clothing, and use shaded areas or station waiting rooms while waiting for their train.
“The high temperatures we have experienced over recent days have continued to put pressure on the railway and the availability of some of our trains.
“Our priority is to keep as much of the network running as possible while continuing to operate safely. By making temporary changes to a small number of services, we can better protect the wider timetable and provide greater resilience across the network.
“We apologise for the disruption these changes may cause and thank customers for their patience and understanding. If you do need to travel, please check your journey before setting off and, where possible, travel before midday. We’d also encourage customers to carry plenty of water, stay hydrated and allow extra time for their journey.”
Philippa Cresswell, Customer Experience Director at East Midlands Railway
Responses
Yet again EMR passengers on the Liverpool & Manchester to the East Midlands get shafted by incompetent EMR management. Its bad enough facing the scrum at Manchester Picc & Stockport for seats heading eastward, but scrapping the direct through trains is rubbing passengers noses in the muck. The Liverpool/Manchester to Sheffield & beyond needs newer LONGER trains of at least 6 or 7 coaches, not just clapped out 158 and 170 dmu units
Another “Director” in the rail industry speaks and admits failure to run the timetabled service. Add this to the fact that this lot at Transport UK abolished seat reservations towards the end of 2025…. So a real lucky dip of will the train actually run and if it does will it actually run on time and will I actually get a seat. I suspect many customers from the Nottingham area for London have long given up with this lot and have discovered the benefits of LNER …likewise from the Leicester area, Nuneaton and Avanti is close by .