Bottesford station to receive extra train services

Village residents at Bottesford are to get extra train services later this year.

East Midlands Railway confirmed this week that additional trains will stop at local stations on the Poacher Line, including Aslockton, Bottesford and Radcliffe-on-Trent, from May.

Additional trains will travel towards Nottingham on weekdays and towards Skegness at weekends.

The announcement was welcomed by Melton MP, Alicia Kearns and Rushcliffe MP Ruth Edwards, who have been campaigning for additional rail services to give residents across the Vale of Belvoir better travel options.

Alicia Kearns, MP for Rutland and Melton said: “I promised residents I would secure more train services at Bottesford and I’m delighted that these timetable changes will give residents of the Vale exactly that.

“From May, travelling to Grantham or Nottingham, and beyond, for work or leisure will be much easier with much more frequent services and better connections. It will also help bring tourism to our area as we recover from the Covid-19 pandemic.”

The new rail services will see earlier morning services as well as one additional ‘peak’ service between Grantham and Nottingham. In the evenings, one service will extend from Grantham through to Boston and an additional service will be introduced between Sleaford and Nottingham.

On Saturdays, there will be earlier and additional morning services between Grantham and Nottingham as well as additional evening services between Boston, Sleaford and Nottingham.

There will be a significant increase in Sunday services bringing the service level much closer to weekdays, including Summer Sunday Skegness services which have previously only operated between May and September, will run all year round.

Will Rogers, managing director at East Midlands Railway, added: “Our May timetable change provides major improvements. Overall, it will provide more seats, quicker journeys and a simpler and more resilient timetable when it is introduced from Sunday, May 16.”