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Written question asked by John Hayes (Conservative) on Tuesday, 30 June 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 2 July 2026. It was answered by Simon Lightwood (Labour) on Monday, 6 July 2026 on behalf of the Department for Transport.

Public Transport: Lincolnshire

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent steps her Department has taken to improve public transport connections in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire.

Answer

The Government is committed to improving public transport and ensuring services better reflect the needs of local communities.

The Bus Services Act 2025 gives local leaders, including in Lincolnshire, greater powers over bus services, enabling them to shape provision in areas such as South Holland and the Deepings.

To support this, the Government has confirmed over £3 billion from 2026/27 to improve and sustain bus services across England, including through multi-year allocations under the Local Authority Bus Grant. This will provide local authorities with greater certainty to plan and deliver improvements. Greater Lincolnshire Combined Authority will be allocated £60 million under the LABG from 2026/27 to 2028/29.

In addition, the Government has extended the £3 cap on single bus fares in England until March 2027, helping keep travel affordable for passengers in Lincolnshire and across the country.

London North Eastern Railway (LNER) introduced an additional Sunday passenger service between Newark North Gate and Lincoln from May 2026, improving access to Lincoln and enhancing connectivity for passengers and local communities.

East Midlands Railway’s December 2025 Timetable change supported the economic growth of two key eastern regional cities (Lincoln and Nottingham), by doubling the number of services from 1 train per hour (tph) to 2tph, providing up to 12 extra services in each direction and over 2,000 extra seats on a weekday and 2,500 extra seats on a Saturday. The services were retimed to create a better clockface timetable in Lincolnshire and improve connections at Lincoln.

More broadly, the Department continues to work with industry partners to identify opportunities to improve rail connectivity across Lincolnshire and the wider East Coast region, supporting better links for passengers and communities.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
14310
Session
2026-27
Subjects
Public transport Lincolnshire
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk