He may be a famous outlaw but there was no attempt at fare evasion by Robin Hood today when he presented his ticket to ride on the first Sunday train service from the Nottinghamshire town of Mansfield since the 1960s.
Robin dispatched the East Midlands Trains’ Sunday service on the Robin Hood Line from Mansfield Woodhouse station by blowing his hunting horn. He was accompanied by a band of merrie men (and women) from East Midlands Trains, Nottinghamshire County Council, local authorities and rail user groups who have been campaigning for years for the Sunday service to be re-introduced.
The last time many of the communities along the Robin Hood Line saw a Sunday service, Mansfield’s very own Alvin Stardust was in the charts singing the aptly named “It’s all over now” (1962). Shortly after that the town’s train services were slashed in the famous “Beeching Cuts” - leaving Mansfield one of the largest towns in Britain without a train service.
Tim Shoveller, Managing Director of East Midlands Trains was onboard greeting passengers he said;
“It’s great to be bringing this service back to the towns and communities between Worksop and Mansfield. Now people from North Nottinghamshire can access Sunday work, shopping and leisure activities in the city without getting stuck in road congestion.”
