The launch of Beverley’s very first direct rail service to London has proven to be so popular that it will now be rolled out for residents on weekends.
Earlier this year, Hull Trains delighted business and leisure passengers when it announced its weekday service. Since then, Hull Trains has continued to work with the Office of Rail and Road for permission to run the service every day of the week.
Will Dunnett, Managing Director of Hull Trains says: “Our direct weekday service has been very successful, improving the East Riding’s connections to the capital and receiving much praise from local businesses and leisure passengers.
“We now have regulatory approval to operate weekend services and we anticipate that these will start in December, with an early Saturday and Sunday morning direct service from Beverley to Kings Cross and a late evening return the same day.”
Before the direct service was launched in February, passengers heading to London had to change at Hull. The benefits of the service include faster journey times, greater convenience and access to Hull Trains’ services including free 4G-enabled Wi-Fi in all carriages.
Graham Stuart, campaigning Member of Parliament for Beverley and Holderness, has been very supportive of Hull Trains’ expansion plans so far. Mr Stuart says:
“Being able to travel direct from Beverley to London on Hull Trains is a great advantage for our area, making it easier to do business or to come for leisure. Now that the service is available on Saturdays and Sundays as well it opens up the possibilities still further – friends can come by train to stay for the weekend, as can tourists, and we can nip to London for the day when we feel like it. This new service is really putting Beverley on the map as a destination.”
Councillor Stephen Parnaby OBE, leader of East Riding of Yorkshire Council, said: “This is fantastic news for people in Beverley and other parts of the East Riding and shows how popular the weekday service has been.
“It is also welcome news for local businesses and tourism. With so many exciting things happening in the East Riding – and the City of Culture celebrations to look forward to in 2017 – this new service should bring even more visitors to our beautiful part of the world and enable more convenient travel to the capital for our residents.”
Mr Dunnett says: “We are always looking for ways to continue to bring direct travel benefits to passengers from across the East Riding and Yorkshire area to keep our region competitive and connected with the capital.”