Fearing effect of rail cuts
Concern has been raised about the effect on Newark of proposed rail service cuts.
Network Rail wants to replace two peak-time morning trains from Newark Northgate to London King’s Cross with one, as part of a proposed new timetable.
The 7.29am and 8.34am trains would be replaced by a 7.54am service.
If agreed, the new timetable would start in December 2010.
At a cabinet meeting, Newark and Sherwood District Council’s portfolio holder for sustainable development and regeneration, Mr Roger Blaney, said if the changes went ahead some trains would be overcrowded.
He said almost twice as many trains would stop at Grantham from 7am-9am compared with Newark, despite high demand from commuters using Northgate station.
Mr Blaney said the proposed timetable would mean there would be only three direct services from Northgate to Leeds — at 7.14am, 7.14pm and 10.54pm.
Passengers for Leeds at any other time would have to change at Doncaster, adding up to 25 minutes to their journey.
The portfolio holder for health and homes, Mr David Payne, said it would make people drive to Grantham and catch the train there.
“It hardly fits in with the new green agenda,” he said.
The portfolio holder for culture and leisure, Mr Roger Jackson, said: “A lot of people do like to live in Newark to commute to London as well as Leeds.”
The council’s chief executive, Mr Andrew Muter, said he had received a letter from Newark Business Club about its concerns and he would contact the MP for Newark, Mr Patrick Mercer, about the issue.
The council’s concerns have been forwarded to the East Coast main line operators.
The proposed timetable has been issued by Network Rail and published by the Office of Rail Regulation, after applications for track access by train operators.
An East Coast main line spokesman said: “A new East Coast timetable is being developed by the rail industry to deliver more services and more seats across this busy route.
“It will also improve connections, speed up average journey times and make better use of available track space.
“Network Rail has produced a draft but incomplete timetable. Development work on the timetable started before the National Express franchise was ended by the Government in mid-November and an initial consultation was held.
“East Coast is now reviewing the proposals and the feedback, and will be consulting further in January, based on a revised timetable from Network Rail. We want to listen to opinion from customers and the industry at large.”