LNER and Network Rail work together to run special Lincoln Christmas Market services

Tuesday 2 Nov 2021

LNER and Network Rail work together to run special Lincoln Christmas Market services

Region & Route:: Eastern; | Eastern: East Coast

London North Eastern Railway (LNER) and Network Rail have worked together to enable a special weekend timetable with larger trains during the Lincoln Christmas Market, with direct services from locations including Leeds, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Inverness.

Due to key upgrades on the East Coast Main Line on Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 December, LNER trains between Doncaster and Peterborough will be on diversionary routes with replacement coaches provided for people travelling to/from Grantham, Newark North Gate and Retford.

The Special Lincoln Christmas Market Timetable will see 9-coach Azuma trains stop at Lincoln Station on their way to and from London King’s Cross. This has been made possible by the specific nature and locations of the vital work being undertaken by Network Rail.

During the weekend, Network Rail is carrying out upgrades to the track near Newark North Gate, drainage improvements near Grantham and vital maintenance work in Retford. All of this work will help boost reliability over the festive period and bring smoother, more reliable journeys for people travelling on the East Coast Main Line.

Complementing the rail services will be direct replacement coaches between Lincoln and Peterborough with a separate coach service linking Grantham, Newark North Gate and Retford. East Midlands Railway (EMR) will also be running its services to/from Lincoln on the Saturday as these are unaffected by the engineering work.

Warrick Dent, Director of Safety and Operations at LNER, said: “I am pleased we have been able to work with the local community in Lincoln and our partners at Network Rail and the Department for Transport to ensure that direct rail services can be provided to the traditional Lincoln Christmas Market.

“These services are expected to be extremely busy, so customers are encouraged to book early via the LNER website to avoid disappointment. We strongly recommend customers have a seat reservation for each service to make sure they can fully enjoy the journey to and from the city.”

Sarah Reid, Route Director for Network Rail’s East Coast route, said: “We know just how well-loved Lincoln Christmas Market is, which is why we have worked closely with LNER to make sure direct rail services run during this time.

“As we welcome more passengers back to the railway, we continue to look at ways we can carry out key upgrades whilst minimising the impact on people due to travel. We’re delighted that this special timetable will be in place and we hope all those visiting Lincoln Market have a fantastic time.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors

Special Lincoln Christmas Market Timetable

(Check www.LNER.co.uk for more information and live journey information)

Saturday 4 December (Northbound)

11:00 London King’s Cross to Inverness via Lincoln at 12:44
11:30 London King’s Cross to Leeds via Lincoln at 13:21
13:30 London King’s Cross to Leeds via Lincoln at 15:19
16:30 London King’s Cross to Edinburgh via Lincoln at 18:14
19:00 London King’s Cross to Newcastle via Lincoln at 20:44

Saturday 4 December (Southbound)

06:56 Skipton to London King’s Cross via Lincoln at 09:01
09:45 Leeds to London King’s Cross via Lincoln at 11:01
09:52 Aberdeen to London King’s Cross via Lincoln at 16:01
17:45 Leeds to London King’s cross via Lincoln at 19:01
14:52 Aberdeen to London King’s Cross via Lincoln at 21:07

Sunday 5 December (Northbound)

09:00 London King’s Cross to Aberdeen via Lincoln at 10:45
11:00 London King’s Cross to Inverness via Lincoln at 12:44
14:00 London King Cross to Leeds via Lincoln at 15:46
19:00 London King’s Cross to Newcastle via Lincoln at 20:47
20:00 London King’s Cross to Leeds via Lincoln at 21:44

Sunday 5 December (Southbound)

09:40 Leeds to London King’s Cross via Lincoln at [service and stopping time TBC]
09:56 Newcastle to London King’s Cross via Lincoln at 12:05
09:40 Inverness to London King’s Cross via Lincoln at 17:17
17:42 Leeds to London King’s Cross via Lincoln at 18:57

About LNER

London North Eastern Railway (LNER) is on a mission to transform rail travel for the customers and communities we serve. Our new modern Azuma fleet of trains will continue the LNER tradition of setting new, higher standards in comfort, reliability and customer experience. LNER calls at 53 stations along the East Coast route, totaling 936 miles including major towns and cities between London, the East Midlands, Yorkshire, North East of England and Scotland.

For further information

Please contact the LNER Press Office

E: press.office@lner.co.uk

T: 07704 021 208

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About Network Rail

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