Following significant concerns raised by Karl over the decision by LNER to run no services to Lincoln Station from London for the weekend of the famous Lincoln Christmas Market (4/5thDecember), the train operator has now decided to run a Special Lincoln Christmas Market Timetable over that weekend.
In response, Karl has both welcomed the decision and also made clear that for future years, there must never again be any plans to run no or a limited rail service to Lincoln Station over the Lincoln Christmas Market weekend.
In October, LNER announced they were suspending LNER services between London and Lincoln on Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th December 2021 for engineering work. This is the weekend of the world-famous Lincoln Christmas Market one of the largest Christmas markets in Europe, which with over 250 stalls attracts over 250,000 people over four days. It is the biggest event that Lincoln hosts each year and directly supports businesses in Lincoln’s Bailgate and Uphill areas, and across the City, alongside stallholders and suppliers from across the whole County of Lincolnshire.
Following an intervention from Karl and a request for the plans to be changed, as well as lobbying of his Ministerial colleagues at the Department of Transport, LNER have responded by creating a Special Lincoln Christmas Market Timetable. As well as some trains from London, there will be direct services to/from Doncaster and from as far afield as Leeds, Newcastle and Edinburgh. Complementing this, there will also be direct replacement coaches between Lincoln and Peterborough with a separate coach service linking Grantham, Newark North Gate and Retford. East Midlands Railway will also be running its services to/from Lincoln on Saturday as these are unaffected by the engineering work.
Karl said: “Following my raising significant concerns about their plans, I am pleased that LNER and Network Rail saw sense and reinstated some railway services to Lincoln from London and elsewhere over the weekend of our wonderful and world-famous Christmas Market. Whilst I thank for them of course for being flexible and creative in changing their plans, it is important that in subsequent years we always have a full direct railway service from London and elsewhere to Lincoln so I hope this situation never arises again.
“I am, like every year, really looking forward to the Christmas Market especially following the decision not to hold it last year due to the pandemic. It will be a further sign that life in Lincoln is thankfully returning back to normal and that we remain the best place in Britain to live, work, study and visit, whatever the time of year.”
- Ends -
To contact Karl, please call 020 7219 7221 or email karl.mccartney.mp@parliament.uk
