Stagecoach Should Explain Decision to Reduce Bus Services

Edward Leigh MP has called on Stagecoach Lincolnshire to explain to local people the company’s decision to cut services along the number 3 route from Lincoln to Grimsby, which serves Nettleham, Dunholme and Welton.

Our local Member of Parliament, has responded to the significant change to the Number 3 service from Monday 2 April 2012. Which will include the loss of an hourly connecting bus service between the south east and north east of the Gainsborough Constituency during the daytime. Through journeys will now end during the middle part of the day with the last through departures from Lincoln and Grimby at 8:40am and not resuming until 1:40pm.

Stagecoach have admitted that they are eliminating less economical services because of the Department of Transport’s twenty percent reduction in the Bus Service Operators Grant, equivalent to an additional 39p to the cost of a gallon of diesel. But talk of local authority intervention might be overly optimistic, given the £1.3m savings to the county transport budget and the need to find £125m in savings to put the County Council budget on an even keel. Edward Leigh said:

"I am relieved that the cut to the Number 3 service won’t be as deep as originally proposed, but it is still regretful that those who will need to travel outside the peak period will have their options severely curtailed. 

"In rural parts of the country such as ours, providing connections by regular public transport is challenging, but important. I’m not convinced Stagecoach have made a proper case for curtailing the Number 3 service. This follows from their cuts to Sunday and Bank Holiday services from last year.

"This situation is the responsibility of the bus company, and I hope they find more imaginative ways of responding to public demand. They can’t solve their problems simply by demanding subsidies from taxpayers who are hard-pressed to make end’s meet already. All this underlines the overriding importance of cutting the vast deficit we have inherited from the previous government."

Chancellor Announces Funding for Lincoln Eastern Bypass

The Chancellor George Osbourne MP has announced, as part of his autumn statement, that the Lincoln Eastern Bypass is one of thirty-five infrastructure projects around the country set to receive funding.

A 'best and final' bid for £50m, towards the expected £98m cost of the Bypass, was submitted by Lincolnshire County Council to the Department for Transport in September.

Executive Member for Highways and Transportation, Cllr. William Webb, said:

"We are absolutely delighted to hear this news from the Chancellor. Our hopes and aspirations have finally been confirmed and so much hard work has been carried out with our partner authorities to try and bring the bypass to fruition. We have been working towards this for almost 20 years and it’s wonderful that we can start taking the final steps needed to make the bypass a reality.

"The announcement means that we have the additional £50m that is needed and that we have 'conditional approval' for the bypass. We look forward to seeing the full details, so we can start carrying out the additional work required to fulfil these conditions and understand the government’s funding timescale. It is possible that construction could start as soon as 2014."

The Lincoln Eastern Bypass was identified as the best solution to improve traffic flow in the city and it will have tremendous positive economic benefits for the county and East Midlands as a whole.

A bid for funding successfully made it through an initial ‘expression of interest’ stage in February. Lincolnshire County Council is making a contribution of £14m and, following an Executive meeting on Monday, 15th August, is acting as 'guarantor' to underwrite the £34m third party funded element. This meant that if the bid was successful, construction could start far sooner, without the authority needing to wait for details of the developer contributions. Cllr.Webb added: 

"The county council had already agreed this summer to guarantee the outstanding balance in the short term, so we could move forward more quickly. Today’s announcement by government confirms we are now in an excellent position to do this.

"We are of course still working towards solutions to improve the highways in other parts of Lincolnshire as well."

New Train Services Will Not Happen

Direct train services between Lincoln and London have been cut even before they have begun. Train operator East Coast expects to save £9 million a year by running just one daily return service to and from King's Cross from May 2011, instead of the seven originally planned.

Most passengers from Lincoln will have to travel to Newark to catch onward trains. East Coast, owned by Directly Operated Railways, which was set up by the Government, will also be using existing engines and carriages on the direct service in and out of Lincoln and will not now introduce an additional fleet of five Adelante Class 180 trains.

Elaine Holt, Chief Executive of Directly Operated Railways and Chairman of East Coast, said: "

We had believed the proposed new Lincoln services would provide more through trains for customers from the region – and this formed an important part of the Eureka! timetable changes.

"However, given the very tough economic climate, all parts of the Government are looking to see where efficiencies can be made."

It was reported earlier in the year that East Coast was to run the seven direct services each way between Lincoln and Kings Cross from May next year.

Mr. Karl McCartney MP (Conservative, Lincoln) has said:

"Having fourteen services a day between Lincoln and London would have been absolutely brilliant for us and put Lincoln on the map.

"I am very disappointed with East Coast's announcement, but I am pleased there will be two services.

"East Coast has made the decision to cut the services. It is not Government cuts."

A single direct service from Lincoln will depart at 7.22am, arriving at King's Cross at 9.21am. The return leg leaves London at 7.06pm, arriving in Lincoln at 9pm.

David Harby, Chairman of the Lincolnshire branch of Railfuture, said members had been anticipating the risk due to tighter public spending given that the service would have needed a Government subsidy.
Mr Harby, who lives off Brant Road, Lincoln, said:

"I highlighted the risk to the service during the election campaign and Karl McCartney refused to give any assurance.

"We are sorry to see the service cut, but can take comfort from the two trains a day and the extra stops at Newark that will benefit morning trips to London.

"Also the use of nine-car trains instead of four-car Adelante trains will answer concerns of overcrowding."

Eureka! Timetable for Lincoln to London Direct Train Service Announced

On Sunday, 22nd May 2011 the biggest timetable change for twenty years is due to come into effect. This change will see more seats, more services and faster journeys on most routes.

The proposed timetable has been developed by the industry over the past decade. So significant and dynamic is the change it has been branded 'Eureka!' in order to signify how much the project is a major breakthrough for the flagship East Coast Main Line.

Yesterday local commuters at Lincoln Central Station learnt details of the new direct Lincoln to London train services scheduled, following a six month delay, to begin in net year. A total of fourteen services between London and Lincoln will operate in addition to the current East Coast service via Nottingham.

The typical journey time to London will be approximately one hour and fifty minutess which is at least one hour faster than current direct service operated by East Midlands Trains and shaves fifteen minutes off a passengers journey who elects to change trains at Newark.

The average journey time from London will be one hour forty-five minutes, again besting by at least one hour the current direct service operated by East Midlands Trains.

This is a new service from East Coast and provides a major improvement for Lincolnshire's transport links to the capital.

The first train of the day is proposed to depart Lincoln for the capitol at 07:22 arriving at 09:18 whilst the final train of the day would depart at 19:25 arriving at 21:20.