Plans announced to speed up the Castle line between Nottingham and Lincoln

Plans have been launched to improve journey times on the Castle line, which runs between Nottingham and Lincoln via Newark Castle station.

In a wider context, the line is also used for services connecting Leicester with Grimsby and Cleethorpes. The route also serves urban and rural areas such as the Gedling borough, the North Kesteven district of Lincolnshire and the more rural areas in the Newark and Sherwood district of Nottinghamshire. It plays an important role in integrating many rural communities of Lincolnshire with the cities and economic hubs.

Currently just 10 per cent of journeys between Nottingham and Lincoln are taken by train. In an attempt to improve this percentage, Midlands Connect is submitting a strategic outline business case to the Department for Transport, calling for work to be undertaken to improve journey times and make travelling by rail more attractive..

The core option recommended will deliver an increase in line speed from predominantly 50mph to 75mph throughout the route. By relocating one existing signal unit, short sections of minor track re-alignment and carrying out structural repairs to existing culverts, these speed improvements can be secured at an estimated capital cost of £18 million.

In its outline business case, Midlands Connect states that the proposed line speed improvement scheme represents high value for money with a strong Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR) of 2.0, that translates to £2 worth of economic, social and environmental gains delivered for each £1 pound of public money invested.

Karl McCartney, MP for Lincoln, said: “Any improvement on the Nottingham to Lincoln line is welcome news for Lincoln. Nottingham is geographically one of our closest cities and bolstering our connection with Nottingham via improved rail connectivity will inevitably benefit both Lincoln and the entire Greater Lincoln area.

“I look forward to seeing this scheme progress, I am sure the Department for Transport will see how beneficial such a scheme would be to the wider economy.”

Maria Machancoses, CEO of Midlands Connect, added: “Improvements to this corridor between Nottingham and Lincoln will make life easier for businesses, communities and visitors to this area. The scheme will tackle the slow and infrequent rail services which have resulted in relatively few journeys between the two cities being made by train.

“As the UK continues to ramp up its efforts towards net zero, the need for sustainable transport solutions is greater than ever before. This project represents the first step in attracting more passengers to use the trains, to allow further improvements in the future.

“Midlands Connect is committed to making the case for this strategic investment to boost the economy in the Midlands and provide a greener, sustainable transport network.”

Journey times between Nottingham and Lincoln are currently around 54 minutes to cover 35 miles – a very similar time to travelling by road. Improving journey times should make the rail option more attractive.