EMR offers Sheffield passengers more seats and quicker journeys as new timetable begins

East Midlands Railway (EMR) is able to offer its Sheffield passengers quicker and more frequent journeys after it launched its new timetable today. 

The changes, which were made possible by the successful delivery of the £1.5 billion Midland Main Line Upgrade by Network Rail, provide more seats, quicker journeys, and a simpler and more resilient timetable for communities across its network, with earlier and later services supporting leisure, business and tourism journeys.  

Passengers travelling down the Midland Main Line are set to benefit from several specific enhancements to the current service, including quicker peak journey times to London St Pancras International and consistent departure times through the day.

Day trippers or passengers wanting more flexibility will also be able to take advantage of the new timetable which will see earlier trains into London and later returns. 

Further details of the timetable improvements are available on EMR's website here: https://www.eastmidlandsrailway.co.uk/may21 

Will Rogers, Managing Director of East Midlands Railway, said he was excited that passengers can now take advantage their new timetable.

He said: "We are delighted to be able to start this new and significantly improved timetable. The £1.5 billion Midland Main Line upgrade has allowed us to offers more seats, quicker journeys and more frequent journeys to our passengers across both our Regional and Intercity network. 

"The timetable includes earlier and later services supporting leisure, business and tourism journeys and will help to support the region's recovery out of the pandemic. 

Dan Jarvis, Mayor of the Sheffield City Region, said: “Improved rail links between Sheffield and London is an important step on our journey to rebuild and renew South Yorkshire, and a great signal of intent for our future.

“To level up the North, we need to ensure there is no barrier to accessing opportunities, and investment in public transport is vital to this. Better connectivity benefits all of us, from students looking to study here to visitors enjoying the arts and culture of South Yorkshire, and businesses looking for a great place to work and invest.

“We are committed to investing in South Yorkshire’s future, creating a stronger, greener, fairer region for everyone. That mission is being brought to life with an improved train service to help our economy grow, develop greener modes of transport, and enable access to opportunities for our people.”