'New era' for rail services in Leicester and Leicestershire

Today, Abellio starts operating the East Midlands Railway for the next eight years which will bring a package of more than £600 million investment in improvements to rail services across the East Midlands and between the East Midlands and London.  East Midlands Railway, or EMR, will oversee the delivery of improvements to improve customers’ experience, improve rail connections and drive economic growth. 

The positive changes to be brought in by EMR includes:

• Replacement of the entire train fleet with more than 340 carriages. This includes 165 brand new bi-mode intercity trains linking Leicester, Loughborough and Market Harborough with other cities in the East Midlands, the North and London St Pancras, as well as many modern diesel trains improving East-West connections.
• Investment of £20 million at all stations with significant improvement schemes for Leicester and Market Harborough stations as well as improvements for stations like Loughborough, Narborough, Syston and Sileby.
• More services with faster journey times on intercity routes and better regional and local services, especially including at peak times and weekends from St Pancras to Leicester and Market Harborough.
• Improved connections and services to East Midlands Parkway station and a Partnership Agreement with East Midlands Airport recognising its growth as an airport and as a centre for business.
• A flexible season ticket introduced in 2020 to reflect the changing working week.

Sir Peter Soulsby, City Mayor of Leicester, said: “We’re pleased to welcome East Midlands Railway and the exciting range of opportunities it brings including investment and new services that will underpin our growing economy and the needs of our communities here in Leicester.”

Dominic Booth, Managing Director of Abellio UK, said: “Abellio is delighted to have been entrusted to operate East Midlands Railway and we’ve already started on our £600 million investment package to transform rail services across the East Midlands.” 

Julian Edwards, Managing Director of East Midlands Railway, said: “Today is a new era for rail services across the East Midlands.  We have already begun to deliver on our promises including new and better trains, improved stations and more services.  I’ve been really impressed by the employees I have already met across the network and working together the railways of the East Midlands will begin to look and feel very different to today.”

The start of the new franchise also brings a new brand including a range of instant improvements for customers including a Price Promise to ensure people obtain the best value fare, more generous compensation when trains are late, and a high quality and durable new brand. More cycle and car parking will be provided and smart ticketing will be rolled out by 2020.

To drive up performance and ensure more customer-focused delivery of railway operations, EMR and Network Rail have signed a new Alliance Agreement.  This will involve many joint initiatives and a significant increase in collaborative working and co-location. 

Gary Walsh, Network Rail’s Route Director, East Midlands, said: “We look forward to working closely with EMR to help deliver the journey improvements that our passengers deserve. Significant investment in trains, infrastructure, stations, and services will bring huge benefits for everyone using the route, ensuring we make the most out of the biggest upgrade to the Midland Main Line since the Victorian era.

“The £1.5billion investment programme, work on which is still underway, will help form the foundations of a strong partnership with EMR, which will result in improved north-south journeys and enhanced regional connectivity as we put passengers at the heart of every decision we make.”

A short film about the transformation to rail services that EMR will bring can be viewed at www.abellio.com/uk/media/news or follow the launch of EMR on Twitter at #EMRLaunch.