Elizabeth Fish

Lincoln residents travelling to London on trains via Nottingham will see their journeys improved over the next few years due to extra line investment.

By 2019, passengers travelling to the capital via Nottingham can expect more trains, seats and faster journeys due to a five-year £1.6 billion investment programme by Network Rail and its industry partners in the East Midlands.

By 2019 16% more passengers are expected to be travelling on the network.

Network Rail also said demand for rail freight is predicted to increase by 23%.

To keep up with demand from passengers and freight, the Midland Main Line will be electrified.

Electrification will reach Corby at the end of 2017 with Nottingham and Derby to follow at the end of 2019 and Sheffield at the end of 2020.

Additionally, track, signals, and bridges will be replaced and renewed, and work will be put into improving earthworks and drainage to cope with extreme weather.

An engineer works on overhead electric cabling for line electrification. Photo: Network Rail

Phil Verster, Route Managing Director for Network Rail, said: “Our investment plans are crucial to making sure we can meet demand whilst maintaining a safe and reliable service and making the improvements in performance passengers rightly expect.”

David Horne, Managing Director of East Midlands Trains, added: “Projects like electrification of the Midland Main Line, journey time improvements and steps to allow more trains to run on key routes will make a huge practical difference for people and businesses in our region who depend on the railway.”

Level crossing safety

Speaking about safety on the railway, Phil Verster added: “The safety of everyone who comes into contact with the railway, whether as a passenger, worker or user of a level crossing remains of the utmost importance.

“We will continue to close level crossings where possible and make improvements when closure is not an option.

“At the same time, along with our colleagues in the train operators, we are committed to make significant improvements in the number of trains which run on time.

“We are running more trains than ever before and performance remains a tough challenge. Our investment programme over the next five years will help to address the issues of congestion and ageing infrastructure to help drive up train performance.”

Lincoln has ranked well in a list scoring which cities are best to live in for single people.

The list, complied by The Times, charted Lincoln as number 19 out of 30 places in the UK.

Beating it were the likes of Sheffield, Salford Quays in Manchester, Leigh in Edinburgh and Shoreditch of East London, with Tooting in South London taking the top spot.

Describing Lincoln, The Times said that despite seeming to be a small and historic city, it still had a good “city buzz” and is also a “friendly” place.

On housing, it noted that a typical two bedroom house in the city would only set residents back on average £90,000.

The Times also predicted that due to developments like Teal Park, large investment and employment opportunities are entering the city.

The list comes just days after The Sunday Times left Lincoln positive feedback as one of the best places in the country to live, particularly if you are looking for affordable housing, good education, leafy parks and a historical setting.

Most single ward?

Meanwhile, 2011 Census data shows which ward in Lincoln has the highest number of single (never been married) residents.

According to this data, Carholme Ward houses the most single people, with a score of 71% – compared with the national average of 35%.

This is followed by Abbey Ward (52%), Park Ward (51%), Castle Ward (42%), and Glebe Ward (38%).

Typically, the common age range for being single in the 16-35 age bracket, with women more likely to be single than men.