EMR to offer more seats at weekend in line with customer demand

East Midlands Railway (EMR) is to increase the number of seats available at busy times during the weekend – starting this week.

As part of its December timetable change, and in response to emerging trends, EMR will strengthen some of its weekend Intercity services where demand has returned strongly.

EMR conducted detailed analysis across all days against current formations on all services to and from London. This work highlighted a number of weekend services where strengthening was required, as well as a few weekday services too.

Paul Barnfield, Operations Director at East Midlands Railway, said: “Over the past six months we have seen demand rise quickly in separate and specific areas of our timetable, with weekend services proving to be popular. Following detailed analysis, we have identified some key services which we can strengthen – helping to offer passengers more seats at the times they want.

“As well as weekend services, we are also making some targeted weekday improvements on busier services.”

A few examples of services strengthened - not complete list

 Weekday Services

• 0700 Sheffield – St Pancras – 9 car vice 5
• 1702 St Pancras – Sheffield – 10 car vice 5
• 1937 Sheffield – St Pancras – 10 car vice 5

Saturday Services

• 0950 Nottingham – St Pancras – 10 car vice 5
• 1112 Nottingham – St Pancras - 10 car vice 4
• 1937 Sheffield – St Pancras- 9 car vice 5

Sunday services

• 0926 Nottingham – St Pancras – 10 car vice 5
• 0930 St Pancras – Sheffield – 10 car vice 5
• 1732 St Pancras – Sheffield – 10 car vice 5

As part of the December timetable EMR is also reinstating 22 regional services. The timetable increase will be delivered in two stages, with the majority of services being reinstated from Monday 13th December. A second and slightly smaller increase will then be delivered from Monday 3rd January, as customers return to work and education.

As a result, from 3rd January EMR will be operating 486 trains per day - 87 more than operated in the timetable which was in place in the final pre-Covid timetable. This includes an increase of EMR’s Liverpool to Norwich services as well as further reinstatements between Crewe and Newark Castle, Nottingham and Worksop and Leicester and Cleethorpes routes.

Full details of the timetable can be found here https://www.eastmidlandsrailway.co.uk/timetables