East Midlands and London St Pancras Passengers Advised to Plan Ahead for Sunday 27 April
Rail passengers in the East Midlands are being warned to expect extremely busy trains and stations on Sunday 27 April, as Nottingham Forest plays in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley and the London Marathon takes place. According to Network Rail, essential engineering work will reduce the number of trains running, and passengers are advised to plan their journeys in advance.
The engineering work, which is necessary to maintain the rail line, will mean that London St Pancras International low-level platforms will be closed, and Thameslink services will be diverted to the high-level platforms. Network Rail and train operators have been working with Nottingham Forest and local stakeholders to offer the best possible service, but trains and St Pancras station are still expected to be extremely busy.
Daniel Matthews, operations director for Network Rail in the East Midlands, said: "I’m really sorry that our essential engineering work will affect people who want to travel on 27 April. The rail line at St Pancras and through the Thameslink tunnel is very heavily used and needs regular maintenance to keep trains running safely and reliably."
Passengers are advised to check their journeys and plan accordingly, as trains are expected to be full and standing. Queuing systems will be in place at stations, and EMR customers may not be able to board their planned service. If the match goes to extra-time, the number of services back to Nottingham will be very limited.
East Midlands Railway (EMR) customers who must travel between Nottingham and London St Pancras on Sunday, 27 April, are advised to leave Nottingham after 2pm and leave London before 7pm. EMR advance purchase tickets for the busiest times can be used on different trains at no extra cost. EMR customers with tickets to travel to London on Sunday may also use their ticket on Saturday 26 or Monday 28 April instead.
Philippa Cresswell, customer experience director at East Midlands Railway, said: "Services will be extremely busy on Sunday, 27 April, due to engineering works, the marathon, and Nottingham Forest fans travelling to the FA Cup semi-final. To maximise capacity, we are strengthening services and running additional trains wherever operationally possible."
Thameslink passengers heading towards St Albans, Luton, and Bedford later in the day are advised to start their journey from St Pancras before 7pm if possible, to avoid expected football crowds. Thameslink’s customer service director Jenny Saunders said: "With the Thameslink route through central London shut while engineers are completing vital work, we’re strongly urging passengers to plan their journeys to and from London well in advance – and allow plenty of time."
The limited EMR service on Sunday 27 April will operate as follows:
- 1 train per hour between London St Pancras International and Sheffield (via Beighton)
- 1 train per hour between London St Pancras International and Nottingham
- 1 train per hour between London St Pancras International and Corby
- 1 train per hour between Kettering and Corby (shuttle service)
Passengers are encouraged to regularly check EMR’s website for up-to-date information on services and how queuing systems will operate. Anyone travelling that weekend is also advised to plan their journey well in advance to account for the Thameslink closure.
Network Rail owns, operates, and develops Britain’s railway infrastructure, including 20,000 miles of track, 30,000 bridges, tunnels, and viaducts, and thousands of signals, level crossings, and stations. The company runs 20 of the UK’s largest stations, while all the others, over 2,500, are run by the country’s train operating companies.
For more information, visit www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk. Follow Network Rail on Twitter.
