Lobbying by Robert Jenrick MP, Newark and Sherwood District Council and the business club secures a return to pre-covid timetables on the Nottingham to Lincoln railway

Lobbying has secured the promise of additional train services through Newark to return to pre-Covid timetables.

Newark MP Robert Jenrick, the Newark Business Club and Borough Councilor Roger Blaney pushed the case with Transport Secretary Mark Harper in Westminster on Wednesday to improve the poor link between Nottingham and Lincoln and onwards in each direction through Newark and the villages.

The result was an assurance from the Minister for Transport that there will be six more services each weekday and eight on weekends from May.

From left: Michael Hardy, Chair of the Newark Business Club Action Group, District Councilor Roger Blaney, Secretary of Transportation Mark Harper and Newark Assemblyman Robert Jenrick.

Both the Business Club and the District Council, particularly its rail expert Mr Blaney, have long lobbied Mr Jenrick for improved services on the route and they say lobbying continues despite this latest assurance.

Less frequent services since the pandemic on the route have resulted in overcrowding, preventing some passengers from boarding trains to Nottingham from Castle Station, whilst some trains are often delayed and there are gaps in the timetable making travel problematic .

The trains also finish earlier in the evening compared to many other routes.

Mr Jenrick told the advertiser: “The loss of rail service from Lincoln to Nottingham via Newark since the pandemic has made commuting to school, college or work significantly more difficult.

“It has also led to more overcrowding on top-of-the-line trains.

“It was particularly frustrating that it’s impossible to get home from Nottingham at night.

“And some pupils who go to school in Lincolnshire have had to use long replacement buses to get home after a long day.

“The Newark Business Club, Newark and Sherwood Council and I have been lobbying East Midlands Trains and the Department for Transport for a return to the pre-Covid timetable, preferably an improvement.

“We met Transport Secretary Mark Harper MP this week for a very productive meeting.

“He was able to tell us that from May there will be six more trains on weekdays and eight more on weekends.

“This is great progress.

“We will continue to push for further improvements and I want to encourage residents to take advantage of these new services so we can show that the demand for rolling stock is local, we just need the investment.”