Gainsborough Central set for first weekday service for 30 years

The new service at Gainsborough will see hourly trains to and from Sheffield (Monday to Saturday), providing the first weekday service to the station since 1993.

We already operate to Lea Road, but this change means there will be two trains per hour between Gainsborough and Sheffield. It also allows us to speed up the service between Sheffield and Lincoln.

Steve Hopkinson, Regional Director at Northern, said: “We’re delighted to be able to bring weekday services back to Gainsborough Central, giving people in north Lincolnshire the improved rail links they have been demanding for so long.

“Gainsborough itself has changed dramatically since the train service was withdrawn, and now offers great retail and leisure opportunities for the region.  As the name suggests, Gainsborough Central is right in the heart of the town and will service these opportunities.

“The new service provides excellent links between the town and all stops to Sheffield, opening up new commuting, business and leisure opportunities. It also means that the existing Leeds to Lincoln service will be faster as it will stop at fewer stations.”

As part of the train operator’s May timetable changes there will be a number of new services to provide new connection opportunities and more frequent services on existing routes.

As well as links between Gainsborough and Sheffield, Northern has also introduced enhanced links between Hull and Scarborough, Newcastle and Carlisle and the first direct service between Leeds and Chester for many years.

The May 2019 enhancements will not only add new journey opportunities, they have also been designed to build on the reliability and stability introduced during the timetable changes in December last year.

Steve added: “We are absolutely committed to providing the best possible rail service for our customers and our new timetables will see the introduction of new routes and strengthened links elsewhere in the region.

“We are working hard to provide a more reliable and punctual service and will deliver more than £600m of investment including 101 new trains that will feature air conditioning, free Wi-Fi and at seat power sockets for customers. By the end of 2019 we will also retire our Pacer trains and will have completed more than £40m improvements at our stations, introducing better lighting, seating, security and new ticket vending machines.”

Highlights of Northern’s timetable enhancements include:

New hourly service between

• Chester and Leeds (via Manchester Victoria)
• Sheffield and Gainsborugh (including weekday services for the first time at Gainsborough Central)

Hourly services between

• Blackpool North and Manchester Airport (via Piccadilly)
• Blackpool North to Hazel Grove (via Piccadilly)
• Preston to Manchester Victoria
• Hull to Scarborough

Other improvements

• Two trains per hour between Newcastle and Carlisle
• Three trains per hour between Harrogate and Leeds
• Faster journeys between Leeds and Lincoln

Full details of the improvements are available now via the Northern website and National Rail Enquiries.