High hopes for better service

Newark and Sherwood District Council is optimistic that a campaign against proposed changes to the East Coast Mainline timetable will be successful.

There were fears that the introduction of a new timetable next year would mean fewer peak-time trains between Newark and London.

The council hopes new timetable proposals, anticipated in the next month, will include significant changes.

Deputy leader Mr Roger Blaney, said: “Our push to raise the profile of these issues has meant that the consultation carried out by East Coast has particularly highlighted the unacceptable nature of the original proposals from Newark’s perspective.

“We have been assured that East Coast and the rest of the rail industry have taken our responses on board and that their next published timetable will address many of our concerns.”

The council worked with the county council and Newark Business Club to ensure the new timetable would not adversely affect Newark.

The chairman of the business club’s action group, Mr Alistair Millar, told members on Friday that missing services in the mornings had been replaced, but the club remained unhappy with the northbound evening peak service.

He said the 5.49pm from King’s Cross took too long and there was a big gap between 4.30pm and 5.19pm. Discussions with East Coast are continuing.

Mr Millar said there had been more responses to the proposed changes from Newark than anywhere else.

He said: “Having removed a service or two from Newark to London, based on our representations those missing services have now been replaced and Newark is expected to have eight trains to King’s Cross between 6am and 8.45am.”

He said there would be 25 additional trains each weekday together with faster journey times.

Mr Millar said from Newark Northgate there would be a non-stop train to London at 7.36am in place of the current 7.29am, two additional arrivals in London between 9am and 9.59am, off-peak departures for London at 17 and 54 minutes past each hour, and departures at 30 minutes past the hour from London would call only at Peterborough and offer a journey time of just 73 minutes to Newark.

Mr Millar said Elaine Holt, the chairman of East Coast, and Adrian Caltieri, its deputy operations director, recently met the action group, Mr Blaney, and Mr Jim Bamford, rail officer at the county council.

He said she confirmed East Coast intended to provide three dedicated free spaces in the north carpark for 20-minute waits.

An East Coast spokesman said: “We are developing the Eureka timetable with Network Rail, following an extensive three-week consultation and public information programme.

“This has included extremely valuable feedback from stakeholders and customers in Newark.

“The new timetable will bring more seats, more services and faster average journey times to the East Coast. We are balancing aspirations across the route, including in Newark.

“We are in a very useful dialogue with Newark stakeholders and we will continue to work with them as we shape the timetable.”