Just the ticket — extra Sunday services on line

An improved Sunday train service through Newark Castle Station was launched at the weekend.

Earlier and more frequent services are running through Newark, between Lincoln and Nottingham.

East Midlands Trains said it would bring benefits to customers for shopping, work and leisure.

The first service from Lincoln was greeted at Castle Station by invited guests.

Among them were Mr Robert Jenrick, Newark’s MP before the General Election was called, who campaigned for the improvements, and the leader of Newark and Sherwood District Council, Mr Roger Blaney.

Mr Jenrick said: “It was great to welcome the first new Sunday service train into Newark Castle and to see a good crowd get on board.

“These new services will open up all sorts of opportunities for people to work and visit Lincoln and Nottingham on Sundays but, just as importantly, for people to come into Newark and enjoy the town centre, restaurants and our special events.

“I’m so pleased our campaigning succeeded. As usual it was a team effort with Newark Business Club and Newark and Sherwood Council.”

Mrs Amy Codd, the chairman of Newark Business Club, was a guest on the first service of the day.

She welcomed the new services, but said the club regarded them as a stepping stone because more improvements were required.

“We were delighted to see that a number of people got on the train at Lincoln and got off in Newark and a number of others were waiting to get on to the train at Newark,” she said.

“It reinforced the added benefits that these services bring in terms of people coming to Newark.”

'More needs to be done'

Mrs Codd said the rail service needed to improve to ease pressure on the roads network.

“Our opinion is that we see this as a stepping stone and more needs to be done,” she said.

“We need more trains and earlier trains so people can get into work by 9am. Hopefully they will be added in the future.”

Those using the new Sunday services will benefit from:

• New hourly services for most of the day;
• First service leaving Lincoln Central to Nottingham at 8.47am instead of the previous earliest time of 3.08pm;
• First service from Newark Castle to Nottingham leaving at 9.29am instead of 3.50pm;
• First of six additional services from Nottingham to Lincoln leaving at 9.30am instead of 3.29pm.

All the new services will stop at Lowdham and Newark Castle, and there will be extra stops at Hykeham, Swinderby, Collingham, Newark Northgate, Rolleston, Fiskerton, Bleasby, Thurgarton, Burton Joyce and Carlton.

There will also be two extra trains each way every Sunday between Nottingham and Gran-tham, with all services calling at Bingham.

East Midlands Trains commercial director Mr Lawrence Bowman said: “It was fantastic to be joined by local partners and stakeholders to celebrate the launch of the new Sunday service timetable.

“We are confident the new and improved Sunday timetable will bring real benefits for the local communities up and down the Castle line between Lincoln and Nottingham.”