EMR to increase services from Monday 18th May

Following revisions to the Government's advice on the coronavirus lockdown, EMR have announced changes to train services from Monday 18th May.  This is part of national step-up of services after the severe reductions that have been place since March.  However, the advice is still that all passengers continue to follow Government travel advice and only travel if it is absolutely necessary.
The timetable pattern for the Midland Main Line, which serves Market Harborough, is as follows from 18th May until further notice:  

EMR Intercity
2 Trains Per Hour each way between London and Sheffield:

•  1 Fast Service
•  1 Semi-Fast Service

2 Trains Per Hour each way between London and Nottingham:

•  1 Fast Service
•  1 Semi-Fast Service

An hourly shuttle service between Corby and Kettering to connect with Midland Main Line services.
Pending the publication of the actual timetables on the EMR website, we assume the Nottingham trains will all call at Market Harborough.  Calling patterns may differ during AM and PM peak periods.
A consequence of the changed timetable from Monday 18th May is that the peak-time calls at Bedford and Luton, which had been temporarily reinstated since March, will again be withdrawn and the bus connections from Wellingborough reinstated.  The reason is that social distancing is easier if Bedford and Luton peak passengers use Thameslink rather than EMR services; the tiny numbers likely to use the Wellingborough buses mean that distancing between passengers is not a problem.  

EMR Regional
Circa 80% of services will operate Monday to Saturday, with selected off-peak reductions compared to normal.
Services on all routes will operate throughout the normal hours of operation, with early and late services reinstated on routes where limited opening hours are currently in place.
Liverpool-Norwich services will re-commence operating between Sheffield and Liverpool, with a small number of off-peak cancellations on the route. Services between Nottingham and Worksop will operate hourly, calling at all intermediate stations.

Sunday services will continue to operate at current reduced levels.

Along with all train operators, EMR are introducing various social distancing measures to protect passengers and staff so far as is possible during this time.  These measures include new signs at stations and on trains advising passengers about keeping two metres apart; some changes to entrances and exits at larger stations; marked out queuing arrangements at booking offices and ticket barriers; encouragement to use contactless card payments if buying tickets at stations; cordoning-off adjacent seats and ticket machines at stations; removal of leaflets; and regular cleaning of 'touch surfaces'.  However, they acknowledge that it is up to passengers to conduct themselves sensibly; train company staff cannot physically enforce the rules for everyone and we all have a part to play.  On-train catering and seat reservations remain suspended.  EMR advise that all the procedures and rules remain under constant review and are subject to change. 

Services have been running well so far during the lock-down period, with high levels of punctuality achieved.  However, though numbers are beginning increase, there has been a massive reduction in usage of our trains; the picture below shows the car park at Market Harborough completely empty, though admittedly it was on a Sunday, 3rd May.