Abellio starts work on East Midlands Railway with £600m investment into improvements

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Today, Abellio has started operating the East Midlands Railway for the next eight years, which will bring a package of more than £600 million investment in improvements to rail services across the East Midlands.

East Midlands Railway, or EMR, will oversee the delivery of improvements to improve customers’ experience, improve rail connections and drive economic growth including more regular services between London St Pancras station and Luton Airport, with a new ‘Luton Airport Express’ style-service operated by a new all-electric fleet of trains that will also serve Luton, Corby, Kettering, Wellingborough and Bedford.

The positive changes to be brought in by EMR include:

  • Replacement of the entire intercity train fleet including 165 brand new intercity bi-mode carriages (33 trains) that will link cities in the North and East Midlands to London St Pancras, and the introduction of electric trains between London and Luton Airport Parkway, Luton, Wellingborough, Corby, Bedford and Kettering.
  • Investment of £20 million at all stations with specific improvements made at St Pancras including new waiting areas for all EMR customers including additional seating and better lounge areas.
  • More services with faster journey times on intercity routes between London St Pancras and the towns and cities of the East Midlands and the North
  • Doubling capacity into London St Pancras to take account of growing demand for rail travel between London and England’s Economic Heartland area
  • Partnership Agreements signed with HS1 Ltd which runs St Pancras Station and London Luton Airport Ltd to improve rail services and facilities for passengers, especially at St Pancras station

There will also be a number of new services, with changes and improvements including:

  • Lincoln – London:
    • The Lincoln to London St Pancras line will now see two trains per day pass through each way, with an increased capacity between Nottingham and Lincoln at peak times.
    • From April 2020, there will also be a new 125mph train put into service
  • Nottingham – Lincoln – Grimsby:
    • There will be a new hourly service from Nottingham to Grimsby.
    • A new Sunday service will be introduced between Lincoln and Grimsby
  • Peterborough – Lincoln – Doncaster:
    • New hourly service from Lincoln to Doncaster from December 2021, including a new service on Sunday.
  • Newark North Gate – Lincoln:
    • Limited early morning services will continue to operate to and from Cleethorpes.
    • A new hourly service between Lincoln and Newark North Gate when passengers join the London service.

The new-look trains.

Dominic Booth, Managing Director of Abellio UK, said: “Abellio is delighted to have been entrusted to operate East Midlands Railway and we’ve already started on our £600 million investment package to transform rail services from towns like Corby, Bedford and also Luton Airport into London St Pancras station.”

Rail Minister, Chris Heaton-Harris, said: “Abellio’s exciting plans for East Midlands Railway will make a real difference to passengers, delivering state-of-the-art trains with more seats, station improvements and trialling hydrogen fuel cell technology to ensure that East Midlands Railway becomes one of the most environmentally-friendly in the UK.

“This investment will also lead to more punctual journeys for passengers and play a major role in building a railway that’s fit for the future.”

Julian Edwards, Managing Director of East Midlands Railway, said: “Today is a new era for rail services on East Midlands Railway. We have begun to deliver on our promises with improved passenger compensation and a Price Promise for all passengers.

 

“We are investing in new and better trains, improved stations and more services, including between London and key destinations like London Luton Airport and Corby. Our customers will also notice significant improvements at St Pancras station when they arrive at and depart from the station.”