Grantham to Skegness Line
Encyclopedia
The Grantham to Skegness Line, promoted as the Poacher Line, runs for 55 miles (88.5 km) between Grantham
and Skegness
in Lincolnshire
, England
.
The route was selected as one of the seven pilot schemes under the Department for Transport
's Community Rail Development Strategy in 2005 and was formally designated as a community rail
service in July 2006. Passenger use of the line has grown since becoming a community rail line and the Poacher Line Community Rail Partnership actively promotes the route through marketing promotions, ticketing offers, music trains and guided walks. Redundant space at stations at Sleaford and Boston is being brought back into community use. Members of the Partnership include Lincolnshire County Council, East Midlands Trains, Association of Community Rail Partnerships and Network Rail.
Trains on this route originate from the East Midlands
via the Nottingham to Grantham Line
as an hourly through service from Nottingham to Skegness. The line is operated by East Midlands Trains British Rail Class 156
"Super-Sprinter" and British Rail Class 158
"Sprinter Express" diesel multiple unit
s.
and is single track
from to and to with a passing loop at . These were singled in the early 1980s to reduce track maintenance costs.
Grantham to Skegness takes about 1 hour 30 minutes on the Poacher Line. The reference is to the traditional song Lincolnshire Poacher
.
The line is important for south Lincolnshire as it hosts the most frequent and reliable service from Sleaford (and east Lincolnshire) to reach London. Sleaford can be accessed by a second route (Peterborough to Lincoln Line
), however this suffers from being at the heart of infrequent and unreliable services which do not run late at night nor on Sundays. In 2007, Central Trains
, the then operator, announced that longer trains would be used on the line as overcrowding at weekends has become a severe problem.
East Midlands Trains
took over the operation of all routes in the East Midlands
in November 2007 and have in the past expressed an interest in running London
- trains on summer Saturdays. This has been delayed by Network Rail
putting back the track repairs between Boston and Skegness to 2010.
from Boston to Louth opened in March 1848, and the section from Grantham to Boston known as the Ambergate, Nottingham, Boston and Eastern Junction Railway
opened in 1855, both owned by the GNR
company. The section from Wainfleet to Skegness opened in August 1873 (by the Wainfleet and Skegness Railway Company, later owned by the GNR in the late 1890s). The GNR became part of the LNER in 1923. When other nearby lines were still open it was a less important route, although the section from Boston to Little Steeping
was shared with the more important Peterborough
to Grimsby
line (via Louth
) until October 1970, hence the unusually sharp curve in the track near Little Steeping where it joins the Skegness line (which was originally opened as a branch from Firsby
). This also had a section from here to Woodhall Spa
and on to Lincoln
. There has never been a direct line from Skegness to Mablethorpe
; travellers to Mablethorpe went via a branch line from Willoughby
(from the south which opened in October 1886), or Louth (from the north which opened in September 1888). The Skegness line inspired the famous poster, designed in 1908 for the GNR.
, there used to be a bottleneck
on the three miles north of Grantham to the Barkston
South junction, which held up valuable time on a more important route. A solution was urgently needed to get the Skegness trains off this route. In October 2005, trains heading for Skegness were diverted back towards Nottingham until the Allington
junction, where a new £11 million short section of track was built to allow trains to head on to the Grantham Avoiding Line. This has increased reliability although slightly increased journey times.
Grantham
Grantham is a market town within the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. It bestrides the East Coast Main Line railway , the historic A1 main north-south road, and the River Witham. Grantham is located approximately south of the city of Lincoln, and approximately east of Nottingham...
and Skegness
Skegness
Skegness is a seaside town and civil parish in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. Located on the Lincolnshire coast of the North Sea, east of the city of Lincoln it has a total resident population of 18,910....
in Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
The route was selected as one of the seven pilot schemes under the Department for Transport
Department for Transport
In the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport is the government department responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland which are not devolved...
's Community Rail Development Strategy in 2005 and was formally designated as a community rail
Community rail
In the United Kingdom, a community rail line is a local railway which is specially supported by local organisations. This support is usually through a Community Rail Partnerships – comprising both the railway operator, local councils and other community organisations – or sometimes by...
service in July 2006. Passenger use of the line has grown since becoming a community rail line and the Poacher Line Community Rail Partnership actively promotes the route through marketing promotions, ticketing offers, music trains and guided walks. Redundant space at stations at Sleaford and Boston is being brought back into community use. Members of the Partnership include Lincolnshire County Council, East Midlands Trains, Association of Community Rail Partnerships and Network Rail.
Trains on this route originate from the East Midlands
East Midlands
The East Midlands is one of the regions of England, consisting of most of the eastern half of the traditional region of the Midlands. It encompasses the combined area of Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Northamptonshire and most of Lincolnshire...
via the Nottingham to Grantham Line
Nottingham to Grantham Line
The Nottingham to Grantham Line is a branch line between the towns of Nottingham and Grantham in the East Midlands of England. It follows the A52.The following places are served by the line.* Nottingham* Netherfield* Radcliffe on Trent* Bingham...
as an hourly through service from Nottingham to Skegness. The line is operated by East Midlands Trains British Rail Class 156
British Rail Class 156
The British Rail Class 156 Super Sprinter is a diesel multiple-unit train . 114 of these units were built from 1987 to 1989 by Metro-Cammell at its Washwood Heath Works in Birmingham...
"Super-Sprinter" and British Rail Class 158
British Rail Class 158
British Rail Class 158 Express Sprinter is a diesel multiple-unit train, built for British Rail between 1989 and 1992 by BREL at its Derby Works. They were built to replace many locomotive-hauled passenger trains, and allowed cascading of existing Sprinter units to replace elderly 'heritage' DMUs...
"Sprinter Express" diesel multiple unit
Diesel multiple unit
A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...
s.
Route
The route is a community rail line. In November 2005 it was reported that the section between Boston and Skegness was unable to take heavier trains although work to enhance the track took place during winter 2009/10. The line is not electrifiedRailway electrification in Great Britain
Railway electrification in Great Britain started towards of the 19th century. A great range of voltages have been used in the intervening period using both overhead lines and third rails, however the most common standard for mainline services is now 25 kV AC using overhead lines and the...
and is single track
Single track (rail)
A single track railway is where trains in both directions share the same track. Single track is normally used on lesser used rail lines, often branch lines, where the traffic density is not high enough to justify the cost of building double tracks....
from to and to with a passing loop at . These were singled in the early 1980s to reduce track maintenance costs.
Grantham to Skegness takes about 1 hour 30 minutes on the Poacher Line. The reference is to the traditional song Lincolnshire Poacher
The Lincolnshire Poacher
"The Lincolnshire Poacher" is a traditional English folk song.The Lincolnshire Poacher can also refer to:*Lincolnshire Poacher , a numbers station*Lincolnshire Poacher , a type of cheese...
.
The line is important for south Lincolnshire as it hosts the most frequent and reliable service from Sleaford (and east Lincolnshire) to reach London. Sleaford can be accessed by a second route (Peterborough to Lincoln Line
Peterborough to Lincoln Line
The Peterborough to Lincoln Line is a railway line linking and , via and .-History:The section between Peterborough and Spalding closed to passengers on 5 October 1970 and re-opened on 7 June 1971. North of Spalding, Ruskington re-opened on 5 May 1975. Metheringham followed on 6 October...
), however this suffers from being at the heart of infrequent and unreliable services which do not run late at night nor on Sundays. In 2007, Central Trains
Central Trains
Central Trains was one of the original 25 train operating companies to emerge from the break-up of British Rail between 1994 and 1997. The company operated local, urban and secondary express services across central England and Mid Wales.-Overview:...
, the then operator, announced that longer trains would be used on the line as overcrowding at weekends has become a severe problem.
East Midlands Trains
East Midlands Trains
East Midlands Trains is a British passenger train operating company. Based in Derby, it provides train services in the East Midlands, chiefly in the counties of Lincolnshire, South Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Northamptonshire, and between the East Midlands and London...
took over the operation of all routes in the East Midlands
East Midlands
The East Midlands is one of the regions of England, consisting of most of the eastern half of the traditional region of the Midlands. It encompasses the combined area of Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Northamptonshire and most of Lincolnshire...
in November 2007 and have in the past expressed an interest in running London
St Pancras railway station
St Pancras railway station, also known as London St Pancras and since 2007 as St Pancras International, is a central London railway terminus celebrated for its Victorian architecture. The Grade I listed building stands on Euston Road in St Pancras, London Borough of Camden, between the...
- trains on summer Saturdays. This has been delayed by Network Rail
Network Rail
Network Rail is the government-created owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain .; it is not responsible for railway infrastructure in Northern Ireland...
putting back the track repairs between Boston and Skegness to 2010.
History
The East Lincolnshire RailwayEast Lincolnshire Railway
The East Lincolnshire Railway was a main line railway linking the towns of Boston, Louth and Grimsby in Lincolnshire, England. It opened in 1848 and was closed to passengers in 1970.-History:...
from Boston to Louth opened in March 1848, and the section from Grantham to Boston known as the Ambergate, Nottingham, Boston and Eastern Junction Railway
Ambergate, Nottingham, Boston and Eastern Junction Railway
The Ambergate, Nottingham, Boston and Eastern Junction Railway was an early British railway company, which opened in 1850.The original aim was to link to the proposed Manchester, Buxton, Matlock and Midlands Junction Railway at Ambergate to link Manchester with Boston and the East Coast...
opened in 1855, both owned by the GNR
Great Northern Railway (Great Britain)
The Great Northern Railway was a British railway company established by the Great Northern Railway Act of 1846. On 1 January 1923 the company lost its identity as a constituent of the newly formed London and North Eastern Railway....
company. The section from Wainfleet to Skegness opened in August 1873 (by the Wainfleet and Skegness Railway Company, later owned by the GNR in the late 1890s). The GNR became part of the LNER in 1923. When other nearby lines were still open it was a less important route, although the section from Boston to Little Steeping
Little Steeping
Little Steeping is a village and civil parish in the East Lindsey district, about three miles from the town of Spilsby, Lincolnshire, England.The parish church is dedicated to Saint Andrew, and is a Grade II* listed building...
was shared with the more important Peterborough
Peterborough
Peterborough is a cathedral city and unitary authority area in the East of England, with an estimated population of in June 2007. For ceremonial purposes it is in the county of Cambridgeshire. Situated north of London, the city stands on the River Nene which flows into the North Sea...
to Grimsby
Grimsby
Grimsby is a seaport on the Humber Estuary in Lincolnshire, England. It has been the administrative centre of the unitary authority area of North East Lincolnshire since 1996...
line (via Louth
Louth, Lincolnshire
Louth is a market town and civil parish within the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England.-Geography:Known as the "capital of the Lincolnshire Wolds", it is situated where the ancient trackway Barton Street crosses the River Lud, and has a total resident population of 15,930.The Greenwich...
) until October 1970, hence the unusually sharp curve in the track near Little Steeping where it joins the Skegness line (which was originally opened as a branch from Firsby
Firsby railway station
Firsby railway station was a busy station in Firsby, Lincolnshire which closed in 1970 as a result of the Beeching Axe. Firsby served as a main line station and a terminus for two branch lines, one to the seaside resort of Skegness and one to the market town of Spilsby.Firsby station was located in...
). This also had a section from here to Woodhall Spa
Woodhall Spa
Woodhall Spa is a civil parish and village in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England within a wooded area on the Southern edge of the Lincolnshire Wolds, about south-west of Horncastle and about east-south-east of Lincoln...
and on to Lincoln
Lincoln, Lincolnshire
Lincoln is a cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England.The non-metropolitan district of Lincoln has a population of 85,595; the 2001 census gave the entire area of Lincoln a population of 120,779....
. There has never been a direct line from Skegness to Mablethorpe
Mablethorpe
Mablethorpe is a small seaside town in East Lindsey on the coast of Lincolnshire, England.-Geography:Several small caravan parks exist around Mablethorpe. The town is administered with Sutton-on-Sea and Trusthorpe, as the civil parish of Mablethorpe and Sutton...
; travellers to Mablethorpe went via a branch line from Willoughby
Willoughby, Lincolnshire
Willoughby is a village in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England, on the edge of the Lincolnshire Wolds. It lies within the civil parish of Willoughby with Sloothby, and south of the town of Alford...
(from the south which opened in October 1886), or Louth (from the north which opened in September 1888). The Skegness line inspired the famous poster, designed in 1908 for the GNR.
Allington Chord
Due to the line being formerly shared with the East Coast Main LineEast Coast Main Line
The East Coast Main Line is a long electrified high-speed railway link between London, Peterborough, Doncaster, Wakefield, Leeds, York, Darlington, Newcastle and Edinburgh...
, there used to be a bottleneck
Bottleneck
A bottleneck is a phenomenon where the performance or capacity of an entire system is limited by a single or limited number of components or resources. The term bottleneck is taken from the 'assets are water' metaphor. As water is poured out of a bottle, the rate of outflow is limited by the width...
on the three miles north of Grantham to the Barkston
Barkston
Barkston is a small village and civil parish lying on the A607 three miles north of Grantham in Lincolnshire, England, just south of the junction with the A153 .-Geography:...
South junction, which held up valuable time on a more important route. A solution was urgently needed to get the Skegness trains off this route. In October 2005, trains heading for Skegness were diverted back towards Nottingham until the Allington
Allington, Lincolnshire
Allington is a village and civil parish in the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England, five miles north-west of Grantham. At the time of the Norman conquest the name of the village was Adelinctune. The 2001 census gave a population of 728 for the parish.Allington Grade II listed Anglican...
junction, where a new £11 million short section of track was built to allow trains to head on to the Grantham Avoiding Line. This has increased reliability although slightly increased journey times.