Many thanks to everyone who has already pitched into this campaign, we have progressed steadily after the initial burst of activity in autumn 2024.

It’s encouraging to discover that a lot cycling people agree that spending £400M on new intercity trains that have poorer provision for carrying cycles than the ones they are replacing defies common sense, and feel sufficiently strongly to have emailed their MP about it, as well as the new regional Mayor Claire Ward and East Midlands Railway themselves. The target is to write to as many MPs with constituencies along the Midland Mainline served by EMR as possible to ask for their support. Pedals has been reaching out to other cycling groups to cooperate in this.

Eight MPs  have been contacted so far, of these, five have expressed support. Several have forwarded  our concerns onto the Rail Minister, Lord Hendy of Richmond. Unfortunately, his response has not been encouraging, though this was perhaps to be expected, there is a lot of inertia to overcome as the new trains are based on designs already in use by GWR and LNER, built by Hitachi at Darlington.

Effort in the coming months is to continue to find supporters to email the MPs not contacted so far and follow up on the ones that have not responded. Pedals plans further publicity around the time that the new trains start to come into service in October. We hope to make a strong impression on the new Great British Railways publicly owned company, such that future plans for new trains are more cycle friendly.

If you haven’t already, please consider writing to your MP using points from our campaign webpage below. This applies particularly if you live in or happen to have cycling friends in Nottingham North, Leicester constituencies, Derby South, Erewash, Harborough and Kettering who would like to help.

Very many thanks to the people who have already told Pedals they have responded: including from the Nottingham, Loughborough and Chesterfield areas. Many have written to their MP, East Midlands Mayor Claire Ward and EMR, a triple whammy! Several MPs have responded supportively so far, as has East Midlands Mayor, Claire Ward.

It’s been very encouraging to receive this support, showing that people agree with Pedals on this issue. We are hoping to get further support from Cycling groups up and down the Midland Mainline: Wellingborough, Kettering, Market Harborough, Leicester, Derby, Alfreton and Sheffield are also affected by these issues.

If you have meant to email but have not got around to it yet, please try and make time sooner or later (but not too much later!) Also please encourage your cycling contacts to do the same, word of mouth is still a very effective way of spreading the message!

Every email to our elected representatives about this counts!

Wish you were here? German Intercity train to Dusseldorf, June 2024