MiddSex & Leicestershire in Metro Bank final - can EMR run earlier trains to Nottingham?

I see Middlesex and Leicestershire are playing at Trent Bridge in the one-day cup final on Sunday 20 September.

Would seem to be a no brainer to run some Crickex from London and even Leicester, since the first train ex St Pancras does not arrive in Nottingham until 10.56, too late to see the start of the game.

But of course, Network Rail have maintenance possessions during the morning hours. Are these possessions set in stone, or if EMR requested, could they run earlier trains?

Could EMR run one or two stoppers via Sileby etc to Loughboro' and onto Nottingham for Leicestershire fans, even though those stations have no scheduled Sunday trains?

I'm asking this more for the knowledge of how the modern railway is run, not because I want to catch the trains on the day. I'm pretty sure BR in the 70s would have done something, but I have no idea if EMR could ask NR, or even if they would want to, what with all their maintenance issues.

Credit to EMR, however, for doing their best for some special events, eg Uttoxeter races.

70014IronDuke said:

But of course, Network Rail have maintenance possessions during the morning hours. Are these possessions set in stone, or if EMR requested, could they run earlier trains?

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EMR could have requested an easement, although the time to do it was at the Draft Period Possession Plan, some 4 months or so ago.

Late notice requests can always be made, of course, but the later you leave it the more chance you have of being turned down.

The game would have been factored into closure planning you'd expect. Attendances are very poor nowadays compared to it's heyday so I'd suspect interest at all.

The game is a knock out final, so it wouldn't have been known who was in it until this week.

Middlesex have said they will run coaches, and have asked for interest to determine how many.

zwk500 said:

EMR could have requested an easement, although the time to do it was at the Draft Period Possession Plan, some 4 months or so ago.

Late notice requests can always be made, of course, but the later you leave it the more chance you have of being turned down.

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Thanks. So not easy, but doable if NR do not need the possession time.

What about running a stopper from Leicester, serving the smaller stations, Sileby etc? Would that be doable, if EMR wanted it?

minimann said:

The game would have been factored into closure planning you'd expect. Attendances are very poor nowadays compared to it's heyday so I'd suspect interest at all.

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Well, listening to Middlesex vs Kent as I write this, one of the cricketers for Middlesex is saying precisely the opposite - that attendances and interest are very much up.

Richardr said:

The game is a knock out final, so it wouldn't have been known who was in it until this week.

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Of course.

Richardr said:

Middlesex have said they will run coaches, and have asked for interest to determine how many.

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What a shame. Surely EMR could have filled at least one of their 222s or whatever it is they might want to have put on. Shame about the climate change.

70014IronDuke said:

What a shame. Surely EMR could have filled at least one of their 222s or whatever it is they might want to have put on. Shame about the climate change.

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I think its safe to assume that 5 road coaches would carry more people and cause lower emissions than a 222 on the journey.

Bald Rick said:

I think its safe to assume that 5 road coaches would carry more people and cause lower emissions than a 222 on the journey.

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and less likely to break down en-route…!