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Fears over train times




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Commuters fear plans to cut train services in Aslockton could leave them stranded for hours.

At a joint meeting, organised by the Whatton and Aslockton parish councils on Tuesday, residents voiced their concerns at the proposed changes to the timetable for the Nottingham-Skegness line, due to be made by East Midlands Trains.

The train company refused to issue the new timetable to the Advertiser because it said it had not yet been given approval by Network Rail.

The change in the timetable is due to come into effect in December.

But the Advertiser has seen the proposed changes, with nine of the 21 journeys from Monday to Friday, travelling between the two stations, being cut.

Services at Radcliffe Train Station are also being cut, while larger stations such as Bingham and Bottesford will have the number of stops increased.

This could see residents in Whatton and Aslockton travelling by car into Bingham to use the rail and bus services, as their local bus services are described as poor.

Around 30 people from Whatton and Aslockton attended the meeting at St Thomas’s Church, Aslockton.

Several commuters raised concerns about the proposed changes and asked whether the timetable could be looked at again.

One of the commuters, Mr Matthew Flint of Beverleys Avenue, Whatton, has collected 92 signatures on a petition at Aslockton train station from people using the service about a month ago.

He said he commuted to work in Nottingham and would be particularly affected by the lack of peak-time services in the evening from Nottingham.

Mr Flint said he travelled home with his wife, Mrs Kate Flint, who finished work at 5.30pm, but the only service available on the new timetable around this time would be at 5.34pm.

This meant they would have to wait to catch the 8.45pm, the next train travelling from Nottingham and stopping at Aslockton.

Mr Flint said: “The biggest problem for me is the lack of trains leaving at the evening peak times.

“It seems they expect us to hang around in Nottingham for three hours or leave work early.”

Mr Flint said figures showed there were about the same number of train passengers using Aslockton and Bingham Train Station but the sizes of the populations were much different.

He said these figures also showed there was a decline in the number of people using Bingham but an increase in those using Aslockton.

Mr Flint said he would probably have to drive to Bingham to catch the train or bus into Nottingham when the new timetable came into being.

Other residents pointed out that there were high levels of congestion on the roads for people trying to commute to Nottingham.

They said there was a much better quality bus service in Bingham and Radcliffe, compared with Aslockton.

People also complained about the lack of consultation before the timetable was drawn up.

The county councillor for the area, Mr Martin Suthers, said the county council’s rail project officer, Mr Jim Bamford, had said there was a special case for Aslockton’s train service compared with other areas because of the difference in bus services.

The chairman of Whatton Parish Council, Mr Gregg Redford, said they needed a service for people who travelled to work by train.

He said: “We are not looking for a bespoke service, we are looking for an effective commuter service.”

An Aslockton parish councillor, Mr David Rowe, said he was not aware of any consultation with the parish council.

At the meeting, Mr John Hillman, stakeholder development manager for East Midlands Trains, said that Stagecoach had carried out consultation as part of its bid to the Department for Transport for this service, including various roadshows and speaking to the county council and stakeholders.

He said they had also followed the criteria set out by the Department for Transport to produce the timetable.

Mr Hillman said he was willing to talk to concerned resident and look at any evidence they had gathered.



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