Mark Hollingworth President, Lincoln Area Chamber of Commerce

Karl McCartney JP MP Member of Parliament for Lincoln

Cllr Martin Hill OBE Leader, Lincolnshire County Council

The Very Revd. Philip Buckler Dean of Lincoln Cathedral

Cllr Ric Metcalfe Leader, City of Lincoln Council

Matt CorriganLincoln Business Improvement Group (BIG)

Emma Tatlow Visit Lincoln PartnershipDavid Chambers Chief Executive, Lindum Group

Prof. Mary Stuart Vice Chancellor, University of LincolnJohn Allen Chief Executive, Lincoln College Henry Ruddock Owner, RuddocksJill Elkington Partner, H E Lettings LLPSam Elkington Partner, HE Lettings LLPAnnette Wood Chairman, Institute of Directors LincolnshireLinda Wardale Chairman, Bailgate Guild

Dear Bidder,

As one of the three preferred bidders for the InterCity East Coast Rail Franchise, to run the East Coast Main Line between Edinburgh and London King’s Cross, you have within your grasp a once-in-a-generation opportunity to deliver better rail services, directly to and from Lincoln and the UK’s capital city. In the near future, new, UK-built high-tech trains will enable further improvements in line capacity and reductions in journey times. Such improvements will benefit all passengers on the East Coast Main Line, particularly people travelling to and from our county city, Lincoln. The city of Lincoln has longstanding and pronounced transport deficiencies, due to the neglect of our transport infrastructure over many years. One (perhaps the most important) of these deficiencies is our rail system and the lack of direct, fast, regular services between Lincoln and London. Lincoln was initially promised seven direct trains travelling down to London and up to Lincoln every day of the week. Then, following the last General Election, we were told that those seven trains would be reduced to three, and that they would only run between Mondays and Fridays. Sadly, what East Coast actually implemented was a single train service, departing from Lincoln at 07.20 hrs and a single return train that leaves London King’s Cross station at 19.06 hrs.

Whilst we are grateful for small mercies, for a thriving city – with two universities, a new UTC, upwards of 15,000 students, many new businesses and a thriving economy – such a small (derisory even!) number of direct services to the nation’s capital, is simply not good enough. It is in stark contrast to every other city in the country. Lincoln is the most loved city in the East Midlands, with a proud heritage spanning millennia. Indeed, next year, we will celebrate that important place Lincoln has in our nation’s history, and modern day Britain, with the 800th Centenary Celebrations of Magna Carta. As political, business and religious representatives of our revitalised and growing city of Lincoln, we will continually lobby and present the case for the improved rail services and transport links that people living, working and visiting our beautiful city need and deserve. These improvements are crucial to the continued economic growth of Lincoln, and indeed also Lincolnshire and the East Midlands. Our local Member of Parliament Karl McCartney has continued to campaign hard to improve Lincoln’s direct train links to London.

This has directly led to our beautiful and historic city being mentioned in the Written Ministerial Statement made in the House of Commons by the Secretary of State on announcing the Invitation to Tender (ITT) for the East Coast InterCity Franchise. We, as a city, are meeting with you tomorrow with the aim of ensuring we have left nothing to chance and that nobody is left in any doubt why regular direct trains to Lincoln, from the capital, make firm business sense. The opportunity afforded by this new, longer franchise is so important to the future of our remarkable city and the people who live, work in or visit Lincoln, that we wanted to make a concerted collegiate and comprehensive argument, reflecting our belief that the days of accepting underperformance/under representation have long gone. It is about time that Lincoln stood up for itself and its rightful place within the fabric of our country – in receiving just investment in terms of transport infrastructure and Government attention.

Yours faithfully,

15th May 2014