"A direct train service from Cleethorpes to London King’s Cross, via Grimsby Town railway station, could arrive at last at the end of this year.
Conservative candidate for Greater Grimsby and Cleethorpes parliamentary constituency, Lia Nici, says it is “arriving in December”. She said that this is based on conversations with Department for Transport and LNER Azuma officials.
No official announcement has been made, though, and Labour Greater Grimsby and Cleethorpes candidate, Melanie Onn, has said it has been a 40 year campaign. But Conservative Brigg and Immingham candidate Martin Vickers has said it has received ministerial approval and awaits timetable sign-off, after operator negotiations with Network Rail.
Ms Nici made the claim it is “arriving in December” in a tweet highlighting a 2019 post-election Grimsby Telegraph article. Asked to clarify the basis for this, given there has been no official announcement yet, she said: “Following discussions I’ve had with representatives and Ministers at the Department for Transport and LNER, I have received assurance from these organisations that the line will be set to open in December.
“It is my understanding from these meetings that approval for the line has been received from both the Department for Transport and the Treasury, and that the tests on the line are complete. The only thing remaining is for drivers to be trained on the new stretch of line before the service can be opened at the end of the year.”
There was a guage test in June 2023, of the route. There has been a false dawn before, when hopes for a May 2022 relaunch were dashed by problems including cracks on board new Hitachi Azuma trains.
“As an MP, I had to travel between Grimsby and London on a weekly basis, so I understand completely the frustration the lack of a direct rail route has caused,” continued Ms Nici. “Since my election, I’ve tirelessly lobbied ministers in government, and the rail operator to make sure that this issue remains at the top of their agenda. My colleagues in government have appreciated our concerns and have worked to make sure that work gets completed as soon as possible.”
She argued it was “one step of many” she had made to help regenerate the town. “Getting Grimsby connected is a key part of that regeneration, and I’m delighted that this will be delivered by the end of this year.”
Labour’s Melanie Onn, who also pushed for its return when she represented Grimsby at Westminster, was critical of the Conservative government’s handling of rail. “This has been a 40 year campaign and the reality is that there is still no direct line between Cleethorpes and London.
“Under the Conservatives, we are paying more than ever for our rail journeys on unreliable services that don’t work for passengers. That’s why Labour’s plan to take back control of our rail is so important to make sure that it works in the interests of the people who use them and encourage more people back into public transport.” Labour head into the election with a promise to create an arm’s length body, Great British Railways, to run the rail network.
Mr Vickers has raised the issue of getting a direct Cleethorpes to London rail route in parliament, repeatedly. He was asked what his understanding of the situation was. “It has received ministerial approval,” he said of the route.
LNER and other operators were currently negotiating with Network Rail the timetables for December. It would go ahead as soon as all the necessary arrangements have been made on the network.
“One of my first jobs if I’m re-elected on July 4, will be to get in touch with the new Transport Secretary,” he said, to press for its timetable confirmation.
The National Rail train timetables are organised twice a year, meaning if it is not in the December 2024 onward timetable, the next earliest date would be approximately May 2025.
The Department for Transport referred to a parliamentary debate on March 21, when Mr Vickers asked for an update on the proposed service. Transport Minister Huw Merriman stated in his answer: “We are now going through the stages with those who use the lines to ensure we do not have any timetabling issues like those that arose in May 2018. I hope we will come to a position on this in some weeks and that I can give him more detail, but I very much hope to see those direct services to Cleethorpes.”
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