Railwatch 079 - April 1999

Lincolnshire

By Brian Hastings and Paul Jowett

Freight forward EWS is planning to put Scunthorpe back on the rail freight map by reopening the former High Street East depot. We are calling for a new county freight strategy to ensure that Lincolnshire falls in line with national trends towards more sustainable freight. We want the county council to follow the lead of Norfolk and the East Riding by appointing a dedicated officer to study freight flows, evaluate potential rail traffic, and identify possible sites for freight terminals and transfer depots. We have also contributed to Lincolnshire Agenda 2000 by again emphasising the need for a freight strategy.

Muck and magic Two trains a day may soon be carrying London waste along the Gainsborough-Barnetby line for disposal in the former Gainsthorpe limestone quarries at Kirton Lindsey. North Lincolnshire Council has approved the plans, but a waste licence is still needed. Rail freight haulier EWS may also use the reinvigorated line for other freight flows. EWS is also sending up to two trains a day of household rubbish from Manchester to Roxby.

Food for thought EWS may benefit from the establishment at Donington of a major food and vegetable freight terminal.

Station reopening European funding may clear the way for speedy reopening of Sibsey station, even before Donington and Pinchbeck. In our submission for Lincolnshire Agenda 2000 we have also listed other possibles, on the Lincoln periphery and at Moortown/North Kelsey.

Growth potential We are campaigning to maintain the rail siding at Killingholme even though oil trains stopped running from Gainsborough in November. We hope to persuade Railtrack, EWS and local authorities to give it new life as a railfreight terminal. We advised West Lindsey District Council's economic development officer that, among other things, it could be used for shipping grain to Scotland.

Well done! RDS has written to congratulate Central Trains' customer service manager Les Bird for boosting passenger numbers by more than 7% between Lincoln and Nottingham with a combination of more frequent trains and an "under a fiver" marketing initiative. We have also appealed for better services at some wayside stations like Hykeham where one member reported a three-hour wait between trains.

Regeneration Our idea of increasing freight capacity between London and Edinburgh by developing the Doncaster-Lincoln-Sleaford-Spalding-Peterborough "joint line" has been taken up by Railtrack in its booklet East Coast Main Line Regeneration. It suggests line speed could be upgraded from 55mph to 75mph with resignalling and 24-hour operation. While the Sleaford avoiding line can be quickly restored, Lincoln's avoiding line was removed and its linear integrity destroyed in what is now seen as an act of 1980s folly. We support Railtrack's plans.

Bus links The Government's rural bus grant has led to a new bus service from Louth to Market Rasen rail station. We are urging county transport planners to give it better publicity. Metheringham station again has a bus link which it lost when buses were de-regulated. We will suggest other possible bus feeder services and through ticketing.

That's the spirit The Lincoln-Sheffield service is to be improved to give an hourly service from 29 May. We asked Northern Spirit business manager Rita O'Neill to try more cheap day returns to more destinations.

Rail hope The prestigious new Sleaford industrial Enterprise Park may yet have a rail connection following lobbying by RDS which may have to be more pro-active in other areas. There is little understanding of rail's potential among developers and in rural areas after years of neglect.

Anniversary An exhibition opened in February at Baysgarth museum to mark the forthcoming 150th anniversary of the opening of the rail line into Barton.

Back on the air RDS member and BBC Radio Lincolnshire broadcaster Alan Stennett has returned with his monthly Railway Digest, usually on the second Tuesday of the month at 18.15.

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