Traders have expressed concern after East Midlands Railway announced passengers travelling to Skegness this summer will need to pre-book their tickets. Those hoping to visit Skegness between Sunday, July 9 to Saturday, September 9 will need to book their tickets in advance to "guarantee a space on the train".
Independent businesses in the seaside town say this could be "disastrous" and "put people off" coming to Skegness, causing footfall to reduce in the area. The businesses are calling for more carriages to be put on trains, rather than passengers having to buy tickets in advance, reports Lincolnshire Live.
Danny Brookes, business partner at Indulgence Skegness coffee shop, said: "I think it's a pretty bad idea. A lot of people wake up, see there is glorious sunshine and go for the day, you can't see what the weather is going to be like in advance.
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"I think it will be disastrous for the town if there aren't extra carriages. People arrive in Skegness and have been stood up for two hours on the train."
He added: "If you turn up on the day and all the trains have been booked it will put people off coming to Skegness." John Nuttall, who runs donkey rides on Skegness beach, said: "It's just going to put people off and there will be too much messing about, they should just leave it as it is.
"If there are that many people wanting to come they should put more carriages on." Edyta Milewska, manager of Home FX gift shop in Skegness, said: "I think it's a really bad idea because not everyone plans in advance.
"The trains do get really busy in the summer so they could put more carriages on. Booking in advance will put people off coming to Skegness so we will lose some business."
East Midlands Railway has stated that once spaces are booked up for the trains, the only option customers will have is to take one of the replacement buses to Skegness. It is thought that the new rules will mainly impact people that prefer to take last-minute trips to the seaside on hot days.
Neil Grabham, customer services director at East Midlands Railway, said: "Skegness remains a very popular destination for holidaymakers and this year will be no different. We want our customer's holiday to start as smoothly as possible and that's where booking a place beforehand comes in.
"Booking ahead allows them to have peace of mind and guarantees a place on board. Likewise, customers from Boston and Grantham will be able to take advantage of direct bus services to the coast, on selected days - helping them to quickly get to those big holiday resorts."
He added: "As in previous years, holidaymakers should also keep an eye out for some special treats we have organised for families travelling on this route this summer. Customers can also take advantage of our free vacuum packs which will enable them to shrink wrap their clothes and bedding - meaning more space for everyone on board."
East Midlands Railway said the busiest days throughout the summer on the trains are Friday, Saturday and Monday. The busiest time to travel is 7am until 1pm in both directions. There will also be queueing systems in place at Nottingham and Skegness station, one queue for people who have booked in advance and reserved a space and those who have paid on the day.
Holidaymakers can book train tickets up to 12 weeks in advance and can do so here.
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