December 3, 2021 8.32 am This story is over 27 months old

You shall go to the Lincoln Christmas Market! East Midlands Railway strikes called off

But there’ll now be a reduced timetable

Staff at East Midlands Railway due to strike over pay and working conditions have called off the action planned during the Lincoln Christmas Market.

National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) had planned to go on strike on Friday, December 3 and Saturday, December 4, resulting in cancellations to services due to take people to Lincoln Christmas Market.

The union says it is still planning action if a deal can’t be made with EMR, but that would be later this month.

Anyone planning to travel by train over the weekend, including to the Lincoln Christmas Market, is still advised to check EMR timetables before they set off as the short notice of the scrapped action means timetables will be reduced.

An EMR spokesperson said: “We have received notification of the RMT’s decision to suspend the strike action.

“Given the extremely short notice of the decision, EMR will continue to operate a reduced timetable on 3 and 4 December.”

EMR says it has “done everything it can” to prioritise services to and from Lincoln, but anticipates the reduced timetable still won’t be sufficient for the thousands of people hoping to visit the Christmas market. It is urging people to use alternative methods of transport if they can.

Read your guide to the 2021 Lincoln Christmas Market here.