Grand Central has today notified Network Rail of its plans to operate new direct services between Lincolnshire and London that, if approved by the rail regulator (the ORR), will bring significant benefits to underserved areas across Lincolnshire and the wider region.
Under the proposals, direct services to London will be provided from Cleethorpes, Grimsby, Habrough, and Scunthorpe, with Grand Central planning to operate the services from as early as December 2026.
The plan makes best use of capacity on the rail network by running trains from the proposed new stops before connecting into existing Grand Central services at Doncaster.
The application will likely be welcomed by local businesses, communities, and stakeholders across East Lincolnshire who have been campaigning for the reintroduction of direct rail links to London, with Cleethorpes not having a direct service for over 30 years.
If approved, the extended route will provide additional capacity and improved connectivity with four new return services per day and over 775,000 additional seats annually made available between Cleethorpes, Grimsby and London’s Kings Cross.
As well as providing new links to make it easy and convenient to travel by train and leave the car at home, Grand Central’s proposed new connections will boost the economy, with a study by the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership estimating a Cleethorpes-London service could generate up to £30.1 million annually for the region.
Grand Central supports an area outside London with a combined GDP of £113bn, and connects businesses and workforces in major cities such as Sunderland, Bradford, Peterborough, and Doncaster to the commercial opportunities that can unlock their potential and drive economic growth. The open access operator provides services to communities that are under-served on the rail network, offering competitive fares to passengers and making best use of spare capacity on the rail network without government funding.
Paul Hutchings, Managing Director responsible for Grand Central, said: “We’re excited about the opportunity to reconnect Cleethorpes to London with new direct services, the first of their kind since 1992. If approved, these services will play a pivotal role in driving regional growth by linking underserved communities to key commercial opportunities, benefiting both local businesses and passengers.”
Melanie Onn, Labour MP for Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes, said: “ A direct rail service between Cleethorpes and London would significantly boost our local economy. It has been an ongoing project for many years to try and reestablish the direct service and one that is backed by business, local leaders, and the community as a whole. This isn’t just about attracting future investment into our town, it’s about addressing missed economic and social opportunities due to current poor connectivity.”
Image credit: Arriva
