May 2018 timetable - Meeting with East Midlands Trains

Four members of the HRU committee met with EMT at the company’s Derby headquarters on 15th February, at EMT’s invitation.   The purpose of the meeting was to review the timetable due to come into effect on 20th May alongside the next phase of the Thameslink upgrade programme.  The increased Thameslink service puts pressure on track capacity and that means modifications to EMT services, including removal of Bedford and Luton (Town) calls from their peak-direction trains.  For more detail, see 16th December 2017 entry below.
We had a very open and useful discussion with EMT’s Duncan Cale, Stakeholder Manager, and Michael Webb, Head of Train Planning & Access.  We reviewed the planned timetable alongside the present one, including:

• Noting some improvements, such as a new non-stop peak train from St Pancras (1734) to Market Harborough;
• The evening peak from London will also see some improvements in seating capacity for Market Harborough passengers;
• Raising concerns about the loss of direct services for people travelling to and from Bedford and Luton at peak times, plus the difficulties faced by those commuting to Thameslink destinations north of London, such as Harpenden and Elstree, given the lack of Luton Airport Parkway calls between 0810 (0712 ex-MH, change at Kettering) and 0931 (0846 ex-MH);
• The replacement bus connections between Wellingborough and Bedford, including assurance on their accessibility for disabled users (this will be in the specification for the bus service), the robustness of the timetable given road congestion in Bedford (will be reviewed in the light of experience), and possible reductions in non-season-ticket fares to Bedford (being considered). EMT will have a dedicated member of staff at Wellingborough to assist train-bus passengers.  They said they are unlikely to hold a train for a delayed bus unless it was the last train of the evening, but would guarantee to get the last passenger home, even if it meant via a taxi.  They have even considered the issue of accommodating bicycles on the bus;
• Calling for the option for passengers to travel to Bedford throughout by train via Luton Airport Parkway at a reasonable fare;
• Raising concerns about gaps in the evening peak timetable to Market Harborough from London, Bedford, Wellingborough and Kettering, plus train capacity on some popular services;
• Similar concerns about a wider gap in the northbound morning peak timetable to Leicester and Nottingham;
• Pressing for a later southbound last train from Leicester, noting that this is constrained by the need to get trains back north to the depots for overnight servicing.

We also discussed rolling stock, with the lack of any decision so far on either replacement or modification of the HSTs to meet accessibility regulations by the end of 2019.  This is caught up in the re-franchising process, as the next train operating company is expected to be responsible for ordering any new trains. The timing does not make this easy!
EMT noted our concerns and aspirations and, though their room for manoeuvre in the May 2018 timetable is limited, they undertook to consider the matters discussed.  This plus operating experience will be considered in developing the December 2018 and May 2019 timetables.
We are grateful to EMT for the opportunity to discuss these matters so openly with them.