I can only imagine what a culture shock it is for them to actually have passengers to deal with.
Then again, the Leicester - Lincoln service is terminating at Loughborough like it used to do, despite EMP having the necessary trackwork for a reversal. If it's still easier, almost 10 years after it was built, to get to Nottingham and East Midlands Airport from Loughborough than a station 7 miles closer, that tells you all you need to know about the usefulness of East Midlands Parkway.
It doesn't tell you all you need to know about East Midlands Parkway at all. I'd suggest the following points would help make a more rounded diagnosis of the problem of East Midlands Parkway:
- London departures are normally at 35 and 43 minutes past the hour, with nothing for the remaining 52 minutes of the hour outside peak times.
- Journey times of 1hr 40 to London are not particularly attractive
- Car parking charges are not attractive
- very poor facilities on platforms 3 and 4. Platform 3 is for London departures. This is an exposed and windy site and this platform has inadequate "bus shelters" to stand in
- no regular bus services serving the station
- no taxis wait at the station
EMT have shown no sign of wanting to change any of the above, presumably because it would costs them money, and they think it might take people away from other East Midlands stations rather than attracting new travelers.
There is no pro-active marketing in the surrounding towns and villages to encourage additional leisure travel at discounted rates from East Midlands Parkway so I assume East Midlands Trains are happy with the current situation.
Its location and platforms and track work are extremely useful on days like today though.