LNER and Network Rail work together to run special Lincoln Christmas Market Services

London North Eastern Railway (LNER) and Network Rail have worked together to enable a special weekend timetable with larger trains during the Lincoln Christmas Market, with direct services from locations including Leeds, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Inverness. 

Due to key upgrades on the East Coast Main Line on Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 December, LNER trains between Doncaster and Peterborough will be on diversionary routes with replacement coaches provided for people travelling to/from Grantham, Newark NorthGate and Retford. 

The Special Lincoln Christmas Market Timetable will see 9-coach Azuma trains stop at Lincoln Station on their way to and from London King’s Cross. This has been made possible by the specific nature and locations of the vital work being undertaken by Network Rail. 

During the weekend, Network Rail is carrying out upgrades to the track near Newark NorthGate, drainage improvements near Grantham and vital maintenance work in Retford. All of this work will help boost reliability over the festive period and bring smoother, more reliable journeys for people travelling on the East Coast Main Line.  

Complementing the rail services will be direct replacement coaches between Lincoln and Peterborough with a separate coach service linking Grantham, Newark NorthGate and Retford. East Midlands Railway (EMR) will also be running its services to/from Lincoln on the Saturday as these are unaffected by the engineering work. 

Warrick Dent, Director of Safety and Operations at LNER, said: “I am pleased we have been able to work with the local community in Lincoln and our partners at Network Rail and the Department for Transport to ensure that direct rail services can be provided to the traditional Lincoln Christmas Market. 

“These services are expected to be extremely busy, so customers are encouraged to book early via  the LNER website to avoid disappointment. We strongly recommend customers have a seat reservation for each service to make sure they can fully enjoy the journey to and from the city.” 

Sarah Reid, Route Director for Network Rail’s East Coast route, said: “We know just how well-loved Lincoln Christmas Market is, which is why we have worked closely with LNER to make sure direct rail services run during this time. 

“As we welcome more passengers back to the railway, we continue to look at ways we can carry out key upgrades whilst minimising the impact on people due to travel. We’re delighted that this special timetable will be in place and we hope all those visiting Lincoln Market have a fantastic time.”