Rail passengers travelling between Nottingham, Grantham and Sleaford are being advised to plan ahead next month as Network Rail carries out sleeper replacement works at Scarrington Lane level crossing in Nottinghamshire. The upgrade, which will see new railway sleepers installed to support and secure the rails, will take place across the weekend of Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 November.

The engineering programme means buses will replace trains on affected East Midlands Railway routes during the two-day closure. On Saturday, services between Nottingham and Skegness will run only as far as Grantham, with separate trains operating between Sleaford and Skegness. Rail replacement buses will connect the missing section between Grantham and Sleaford.

Further changes will apply on Sunday, when trains between Nottingham and Skegness will operate solely between Sleaford and Skegness. Replacement buses will run between Nottingham and Sleaford, and a revised timetable will be in place for Liverpool Lime Street to Norwich services. Trains on that route will not stop at Grantham, which will instead be served by buses from Nottingham.

Explaining the need for the weekend closure, Dan Matthews, Network Rail operations director, said: “We’re investing in the long-term reliability of the railway by upgrading the track and replacing sleepers with more sustainable materials. These improvements will help deliver smoother, more dependable journeys for passengers. We’re sorry for the disruption caused and grateful for everyone’s patience while we carry out this important work.”

Philippa Cresswell, EMR customer experience director, added: “We recommend customers planning to travel to Skegness on either Saturday 8 or Sunday 9 November check their journey in advance, as rail replacement buses will be in place between Nottingham, Grantham and Sleaford and journeys will take longer than usual. On Sunday 9 November, there will also be a revised timetable between Liverpool Lime Street and Norwich. This work by Network Rail will help improve the reliability of our services in the long term, and we’d like to thank our customers for their patience while it takes place.”

Image: Network Rail