Delays on first day of timetable

Train bosses said London journeys could be cut by up to 15 minutes

A rail firm that has promised faster trains in the East Midlands has been hit by delays on the first day of its new timetable.

The changes by East Midlands Trains include cutting up to 15 minutes off the travel time to London.

But a signalling problem has delayed trains on the line from Nottingham to Chesterfield by 15 minutes.

The train company said the technical problems were "very disappointing" but "completely out of our control".

A spokeswoman for East Midlands Trains said it was working with Network Rail to fix the fault at Trowell in Nottinghamshire, but added trains were running to schedule on the mainline to London.

Under the new timetable, more trains will be running earlier and later in the day between London and the major cities in the region.

The firm will also deliver more services between Matlock and Derby, which will continue to Nottingham.

Bosses at the company said the changes would boost the local economy and could take the strain off roads.

Tim Shoveller, Managing Director of East Midlands Trains, said their �90m investment programme on fleet, depots and stations would benefit the vast majority of passengers.

I hope East Midlands Trains can deliver this timetable reliably and punctually

Paul Fullwood, Passenger Focus

"I believe this timetable is essential in helping East Midlands Trains continue to grow," he said.

"It provides us with more opportunities and increased capacity on our route, enabling us to encourage more people to make rail their first choice for travel and in turn allowing us to reinvest in the railway."

The company said upgrades of track and trains, along with more efficient use of stock, would see London journeys cut by between 10 and 15 minutes, and between 700 and 2,000 extra seats available on weekdays.

Paul Fullwood, from the watchdog Passenger Focus, said the changes were a step in the right direction.

"There will be many benefits for passengers and passengers will welcome the changes that have come in.

"I hope East Midlands Trains can deliver this timetable reliably and punctually and then can go on and try to plug some of the other gaps in the service we have identified and create an even better timetable going forward."