Travellers told to allow extra time on train route from Sheffield ahead of busy weekend

TransPennine Express (TPE) is expecting services to be busier than they have been in some time, as Cleethorpes plays host to North East Lincolnshire Armed Forces weekend.

The train company, which manages Cleethorpes station, will be running as many trains and carriages as it can on the route, however it is likely that services will still be busy and social distancing may be limited.

Dan Fox, TransPennine Express Station Manager for Cleethorpes said: “We are looking forward to welcoming customers to Cleethorpes station for Armed Forces weekend but want people to be aware that services are likely to be much busier than normal and because of this, social distancing may not be possible.

“We would urge anyone travelling between Sheffield and Cleethorpes on these dates to plan ahead, book their tickets in advance and allow extra time when making their journey. Tickets will be checked both on the train and at arrival at the station.”

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Matthew Foote, Route Operations Manager for Network Rail’s North and East route, said: “We’re delighted to see that Cleethorpes Armed Forces weekend is back and we’re working closely with TransPennine Express to help passengers reach the event safely. We have extra mobile operations managers on hand over the weekend to respond to incidents quickly and help make sure services run smoothly.”

Anyone intending on travelling to the event is being encouraged to book their ticket in advance.

For those looking to travel, tickets can be purchased online via the TPE website or using the TPExpress App where people can now pay using Apple Pay, Google Pay or PayPal. E-tickets are also available allowing customers to use their phone instead of a paper ticket.

For some, this may be the first time they have used the train in a while and extra members of staff will be on hand to help and welcome customers to Cleethorpes station.

People can be reassured that enhanced cleaning is in place both on trains and at all TPE stations ensuring they are as safe as possible.