'Overwhelming' case to get inter-city rail link reinstated

MAYOR HOPES TO SEE RETURN OF DIRECT ROUTE BETWEEN LEICESTER, COVENTRY AND NOTTINGHAM

- By TESS RUSHIN

LEICESTER'S city mayor has again backed calls for the government to reinstate direct rail services between Coventry, Leicester and Nottingham.

If the plan goes ahead, it would be the first time in two decades that the service has run between the three major Midlands cities.

The new service, if approved, would also stop at Hinckley and Loughborough.

Sir Peter Soulsby is fully behind the plan, as is his counterpart for Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.

Campaign group Midlands Connect has submitted a business case to the Department for Transport to re-link the three cities by rail.

The move would slash journey times and create three million extra seats a year for businesses, residents and commuters, a group spokesperson said.

The transport body said the scheme would cut journey times between Coventry to Leicester from 56 minutes to 32.