Cleethorpes-London service faces further delay

A direct service from Cleethorpes to London has been delayed again

The reintroduction of a direct rail service between North East Lincolnshire and London is facing further delay.

There have long been hopes of a reintroduction of the route from Cleethorpes via Grimsby, Lincoln and Market Rasen to the capital.

It cannot be introduced before East Coast mainline timetable changes are brought in at the end of 2025.

However, it could take even longer due to required improvements to Market Rasen station, which could cost up to £20m.

Melanie Onn, MP for Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes, said the service should not have to wait for the station's restoration.

She said: "Instead of looking for more reasons to delay, we need to focus on how this line will create opportunities for people across Lincolnshire.

"I strongly believe there is a clear case for starting the service sooner and adding Market Rasen at a later stage."

North East Lincolnshire is the home of one of the UK's major ports and is a leading hub for green energy, but many businesses look to Hull instead because of its direct rail link to the capital, Onn added.

Local Transport Minister Simon Lightwood said Market Rasen station needed between £15m and £20m-worth of "significant infrastructure work".

The update comes after Sir Edward Leigh, MP for Gainsborough, told the House of Commons he would "lie down on the line" to stop the train if it failed to stop at Market Rasen, which is in his constituency.

Sir Edward said both he and Brigg and Immingham MP Martin Vickers – who was previously MP for Cleethorpes – had been campaigning for the return of the service for decades.

The service was discontinued in 1992.

In 2023, test runs were carried out to check whether the direct daily train service to the capital could be reinstated.

Lightwood confirmed it would not return before East Coast timetable changes were made in December, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The Department for Transport has been approached for comment.

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