Published: Thursday 06 June 2023

The East Midlands is a region which has the lowest level of investment per head in recent years. As a result, it is an area which faces low levels of social mobility.

Official Treasury statistics also show that the East Midlands has the lowest level of transport investment per head of any UK region or nation, just 65% of the UK average in 2021/2. This situation has been endured for more than 20 years under Governments of all colours. Included in that is a real lack of modernisation and intervention across transport provision.

Nottingham already has excellent local transport provision, with a very popular bus and tram system for residents to use for work, school, and wherever they need to be. What it needs is investment in connections with nearby towns and cities, to empower residents to travel more across the region, whether it be for business or pleasure.

At the heart of the Nottingham to Lincoln rail improvements is a plan to encourage more people to take the train. Currently only ten per cent of journeys between the two cities are made by rail. Midlands Connect hopes by increasing the speed and, in the long term, frequency of these trains, rail will become the first choice for travellers.

With our recently announced SOBC, firstly, we plan on increasing the overall line speed by 25mph, and secondly, with the development of HS2 East, doubling the frequency of the service in the long term. The journey is one which is already quicker by rail than by road, these interventions will only make the train more attractive. With a £2 return on every £1 invested in this scheme, it’s a guaranteed win for the government and the region.

This intervention is part of a broader plan to boost transport investment in the East Midlands region. It lays the foundation for an raising the profile and interest in this rail corridor which will help to decarbonise the area in the long term.

Tawhida Yaacoub is a Senior Rail Programme Manager at Midlands Connect