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East Midlands Parkway is a railway station located north of Ratcliffe-on-Soar on the Midland Main Line in the East Midlands of England. It provides park and ride facilities for rail passengers on the routes from Leicester to Derby and Nottingham, and also serves East Midlands Airport.

The site of the station is in southwest Nottinghamshire, about 500 metres (0.3 mi) from the border with Leicestershire and 1 kilometre (0.6 mi) from that with Derbyshire, between the existing stations at Loughborough, Long Eaton and Attenborough. The initial shuttle bus service linking the station and the airport has ceased but it is possible to take a taxi at a reduced fare providing the booking is made at least 12 hours in advance.^[1] The main station building and the 850 vehicle car park are to the west of the line, opposite Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station. Road access is via the A453, which provides a link to the nearby (three minute drive) M1 motorway.

History

Building work commenced on the new £25.5 Million station on 19 December 2007, and was due to be completed by 14 December 2008, but the station finally opened on 26 January 2009.^[2]

The TOC (Train Operating Company) Midland Mainline was, until October 2006, responsible for the project, which was in the planning stages for several years due to a small piece of land needed for the project. The responsibility then transferred to Network Rail which anticipated expenditure of GBP 5 million in 2006/07 and GBP 8 million in 2007/08.^[3]

In its first year of operation the station was used by over 250 000 passengers.^[4]

Controversy

The construction of the station has been controversial; Midland Mainline sought Transport and Works Act (T&WA) powers to compulsorily purchase the land for the station.^[5] However, private agreements with the relevant landowners were agreed for the land required and the compulsory purchase order powers not utilised in this way. Objections against the station were received during the planning and T&WA process from E.ON UK (the owners of some of the land), Friends of the Earth, Nottinghamshire County Council, and the Campaign to Protect Rural England.^[6]

Concerns from the people of the nearby towns notably Loughborough were raised that the opening of the station could lead to the reduction in the number of trains stopping there, although this was denied by former operator Midland Mainline. Another concern was the possible withdrawal of the existing bus service from Loughborough station to the airport, however this service is still operating extending from Loughborough to Leicester.

First year

To mark the first year of operation of the station, East Midlands Trains offered unlimited travel from the station for the day on Saturday 30 January 2010 under the promotional 'Red Dot Day' banner^[7]. The 850 space car park was full for the first time since the station opened and 2,787 passengers travelled.^[8]

Facilities

East Midlands Parkway is a staffed, four-platform station with a ticket office. The ticket office is open between 06:00–19:30 Mondays to Saturdays, and between 07:30–19:30 on Sundays. Other facilities include:

• Ticket vending machine
• Fast ticket machine
• Lifts to all platforms
• Waiting room
• Pay phone
• Cycle storage
• Accessible toilets
• Taxi rank
• Business lounge to open in late 2010^[9]

East Midlands Parkway is one of the greenest stations built in the United Kingdom. It had been constructed using new technology^[vague] in order to minimise its impact on the local environment. It uses a ground-source heating system as well as locally-sourced and recycled materials.^[10]

As of late 2009 East Midlands Parkway is a Penalty fare station, a valid ticket or Permit to travel must be shown when requested.

Services

Fears have been raised by various bodies, notably East Midlands Airport, about the service pattern proposed for the new station.^[11]

Donington Park motor racing circuit is close by and the owners have expressed their desire for spectators to use the station and coaches to the circuit.^[12][13] The owners are also in support of any future light rail transport to East Midlands Airport itself.

All trains serving the station are operated by EMT using InterCity 125 (HST), Class 222 Meridian, or sprinters (classes 153/156/158) rolling stock. The current service pattern from London sees two trains per hour, both leaving within 7 minutes of each other ^[14].

Multi-modal

From 30 March 2009, the station has been used as an interchange station for combined multi-modal journeys Megabus-branded services run by Stagecoach (the operators of both East Midlands Trains and of Megabus). The MegabusPlus services transport passengers from cities in the north of England to East Midlands Parkway, where passengers transfer to rail for the service to London.^[15]

Routes operated under the MegabusPlus brand are to/from:

• London St Pancras International - Hull via Doncaster and Scunthorpe
• London St Pancras International - York via Castleford and Harrogate
• London St Pancras International - Huddersfield via Bradford and Halifax

References

External links

• Train times and station information for East Midlands Parkway railway station from National Rail

• East Midlands Parkway Station Information
• East Midlands Parkway Car Parking
• East Midlands Parkway Cheap Train Tickets
• Raillink bus information