Railwatch

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Railwatch 072 - July 1997

Lincolnshire

By Paul Jowett

We are pleased to anounce Passengers are benefiting from a big improvement in information on offer at Sleaford. TV screens are now installed on the platforms and there are four "pages" of information supplied from the Central Trains operating centre. Sleaford booking office can also provide another "page" of information. The loudspeaker system is still used and the booking office is now open longer. Altogether it adds up to the best information service at Sleaford for many years.

Holiday progress Extra trains were provided to Skegness on the three holiday Sundays (Easter and two May bank holidays). This is the first time this has happened since the 1960s when Skegness lost its "winter" Sunday service altogether. A "winter" Sunday service was reintroduced in the 1980s.

Flower power Central Trains also ran extra trains for the first time for many years from Peterborough to Spalding for the flower festival on 3 May.

Common sense returns Long trains can once again stop at short-platform stations such as Hubberts Bridge on the Skegness line. The conductor advises passengers which carriage to sit in. At one stage the trains were not stopping and passengers had to continue their journeys by bus or taxi. RDS congratulates Central Trains and Railtrack for working out a sensible solution.

Rumour We are worried by unconfirmed reports that Central Trains plans to concentrate improvements in service levels on the Birmingham area.

Turning the tide Skegness may see its first freight traffic since 1964 if rail is chosen, as is rumoured, to carry aggregate to Skegness for coastal defence work.

Electrification Local councils are keen to see more rail electrification in the county and there are reports that a feasibility study will look at the possibility for the Newark-Lincoln-Grimsby line.

Cutting costs sensibly RDS has supported an inquiry by consultants Mott MacDonald into ways of reducing the costs of building new stations in rural areas. The findings have been sent to Railtrack. One current "safety" demand has been questioned - the insistence that all new stations have a footbridge. A traditional barrow crossing is normally adequate and the increase in risk is very small. Over one third of the county's existing stations have barrow crossings without any accidents recorded.

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