£100m plan announced to reconnect Leicester, Nottingham and Coventry by rail
Midlands connect say it could bring £170m into the local economy
A £100-million-pound plan to reinstate direct rail services between Leicester, Nottingham and Coventry for the first time in decades has been announced.
Midlands Connect say the plan could cut journeys from Nottingham and Leicester to Coventry by around a third. This would mean trips from Coventry to Leicester would fall from 54 minutes to 38, while a trip from Coventry to Nottingham would fall from 108 minutes to just 54.
The plan, subject to funding, could be up and running by 2025 and Midlands Connect say it could bring a £170m boost to the local economy.
Two new trains an hour would also be introduced calling at Loughborough and East Midlands Parkway.
Currently passengers travelling between Coventry and Leicester have to make a change at Nuneaton. Midlands Connect say this complex journey is the reason only 3% of trips between the two Cities are currently made by rail.
Sir Peter Soulsby, Leicester City Mayor, said: “I can’t think of two UK cities other than Coventry and Leicester, that are as close, yet so appallingly connected by rail. At the moment it can take up to an hour and twenty minutes to travel less than 25 miles, and passengers have to change trains half-way – it’s simply not good enough."
"Given this, it’s no wonder that 97 per cent of trips on this route are made by road. By reintroducing faster, direct connections we can encourage more people to travel sustainably, strengthen working relationships and increase productivity. We must now move ahead to create detailed plans for delivery, with the support of Government.”
Cllr George Duggins, leader of Coventry City Council, said “There’s no other way of looking at it – here we have a missing link, a really important link between the east and the west Midlands, and this is our opportunity to reforge it."
"These plans will open up Coventry, its jobs, leisure destinations and universities to communities across the East Midlands and vice versa. At the moment the Midlands’ east – west rail connections are sub-standard, holding us back from a more productive and sustainable future. Turning these plans into reality is an essential step in boosting prosperity and public transport use across our region – let’s get on with it.”