Sheffield–Lincoln line
Sheffield–Lincoln line | |
---|---|
Kiveton Bridge station | |
Overview | |
Type | Heavy rail |
System | National Rail |
Status | Operational |
Locale |
East Midlands Yorkshire and the Humber |
Termini |
Sheffield Lincoln (main line), Cleethorpes (Brigg Branch Route) |
Stations | 11 (main Line), 20 (Brigg branch route) |
Operation | |
Owner | Network Rail |
Operator(s) |
Northern East Midlands Trains |
Rolling stock |
Class 142 "Pacer" Class 144 "Pacer" Class 153 "Sprinter" Class 158 "express sprinter" |
Technical | |
Number of tracks | Two (One on sections on Brigg branch) |
Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge |
Electrification | No |
Operating speed | 60 miles per hour (97 km/h) (Max.) |
The Sheffield–Lincoln line is a railway line in England. It runs from Sheffield east to Lincoln via Worksop, Retford and Gainsborough Lea Road. The route comprises the main line of the former Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway (MS&LR), to Gainsborough Trent Junction, where it then follows the former Great Northern and Great Eastern Joint Railway (GNGEJR) to Lincoln Central. The former MS&LR main line continues from Trent Junction to Wrawby Junction, Barnetby, much of it now single line, where it then runs to Cleethorpes. This is currently served by six trains (three each way) on Saturdays only.[1]
Routes
Current services
The line comprises two passenger routes: The main line route from Sheffield to Lincoln and a branch line route running from Sheffield to Cleethorpes, using the Brigg branch line from Gainsborough Trent Junction.[2] The Brigg branch line, however, primarily carries freight trains to/from the Port of Immingham.
Main line route
The route largely follows the former MS&LR main line, until Trent Junction, Gainsborough where it goes on to follow the former GNGEJR line to Lincoln.
- Sheffield
- Darnall
- Woodhouse
- Kiveton Bridge
- Kiveton Park
- Shireoaks
- Worksop
- connections with Worksop–Nottingham line
- Retford
- connections with ECML services at Retford
- Joined by Doncaster-Lincoln Line at West Trent Junction.
- Diverges from the former MSLR main line and joins the former GMGEJR line, now the main route line at East Trent Junction.
- connections with ECML services at Retford
- Gainsborough Lea Road
- connections with Doncaster–Lincoln line
- Saxilby
- Lincoln Central
An hourly service provided by Northern runs this route. Additional services provided by East Midlands Trains serve the line between Gainsborough and Lincoln.
Brigg branch line route
This route follows the former MS&LR main line to Cleethorpes.
- Sheffield
- Darnall
- Woodhouse
- Kiveton Bridge
- Kiveton Park
- Shireoaks
- Worksop
- connections with Worksop–Nottingham line
- Retford
- connections with ECML services at Retford
- Continues on the former MS&LR main line, now Brigg Branch Line, from East Trent Junction.
- connections with ECML services at Retford
- Gainsborough Central
- Kirton Lindsey
- Brigg
- Joins the South Humberside Main Line (from Hatfield and Stainforth) and Grimsby–Lincoln–Newark line (from Market Rasen)
- Barnetby
- connections with South TransPennine route and Nottingham–Grimsby line
- Joined by the Barton line (from Barton-on-Humber)
- connections with South TransPennine route and Nottingham–Grimsby line
- Habrough
- connections with Barton on Humber–Cleethorpes line
- Grimsby Town
- Cleethorpes
A service of 3 trains each-way is provided by Northern on saturdays only runs along this route.
Former Routes
Clarborough Junction-Sykes Junction branch
Clarborough Junction is about 3.75 miles (6.04 km) east of Retford.[3] This Sheffield and Lincolnshire Junction Railway branch had originally been proposed in 1844.[4] It opened on 7 August 1850[5]
The line diverged from the MS&LR main line at Clarborough junction ran through Leverton, Cottam and Torksey to Sykes Junction (located about 1.3 miles (2.1 km) northwest of Saxilby). Services from Sheffield via the branch line to Lincoln, then continuing to Grimsby and Cleethorpes via Market Rasen, used to operate along the line. Opening of the line was delayed for four months by controversy over the safety of Torksey Viaduct. It is now a Grade II listed structure, though the line closed to passengers on 2 November 1959.[6]
In 1967 the line was reopened from Clarborough Junction to Cottam to serve Cottam power stations and is now solely used for freight traffic. On reopening, Clarborough Junction signalbox was closed and control passed to Thrumpton, and the two level crossings were converted to automatic half barriers.[7] The Thrumpton box was rebuilt in 2014.[8]
Future services
On 9 April 2018 it was announced that from December 2018 a regular hourly service will be started between Gainsborough Central (on the Brigg branch line) and Sheffield on weekdays and Saturdays, the most regular service the station has received since 1849. Stopping at all stations, it will allow the Lincoln Sheffield service to run non-stop between Worksop and Sheffield as part of the Northern Connect service.[9]
Accidents and incidents
- On 9 December 1983, a freight train collided at low speed with the side of a local passenger train at Wrawby Junction. The first carriage of the passenger train was derailed and turned over onto its side, and one passenger was killed instantly.[10]
- On 28 February 2007, a EWS freight train derailed at a set of points between Lincoln Central train station and Lincoln High Street level crossing. There were no injuries.[11]
- On 27 April 2012, a Northern Rail passenger train running the Lincoln-Adwick route derailed as it was leaving Clarborough tunnel on the retford side. this was due to a landslip onto the line. The driver and a passenger were taken to hospital with minor injuries.[12]
- 4 December 2012, a Northern Rail Passenger train running a Scunthorpe-Lincoln route, struck and fatally injured a worker on the tracks near Saxilby. [13]
- On 30 June 2015, a DB Schenker freight train was derailed near the site of Langworth station, on the Lincoln-Grimsby line.[14]
Types of train
The line is operated by Northern, who mainly utilise Class 142 and Class 150 sets (though Class 153 single railcars can also appear[15]). From Gainsborough Trent Junction (where the line from Doncaster joins) eastwards to Lincoln, class 153 and Class 156 units operated by East Midlands Trains share the route. The Brigg route is also used by freight traffic between Immingham docks and the power stations at West Burton, Cottam (after reversing in Worksop sidings) and West Yorkshire & the East Midlands.
Retford dive-under
The Sheffield and Lincolnshire Junction Railway (S&LJR) (later Great Central Railway (GCR), now the Sheffield-Lincoln line) was the first railway in Retford, arriving on 6 July 1849. This was the joined by the Great Northern Railway (GNR) line from Doncaster, arriving on 4 September 1849 with the GNR crossing the S&LJR at a flat crossing. This flat crossing caused congestion as trains could not run on both lines at the same time, this was to become a bigger problem with the commenced constructions of West Burton and Cottam power stations, which would require 5million imperial tons (approx. 5.08 tonnes) of coal a year - to be sourced from the NCB's east midlands and north east coalfields. The flat crossing also placed a speed restriction on express trains using the GNR line.[16]
In order to alleviate these problems a dive-under was constructed which saw the GCR pass under a new bridge which the LNER passed over. Construction started in 1963 and was completed in 1965 - during the time of construction trains continued to use the flat crossing. upon completion of the dive-under the flat crossing was finally removed on 13 June 1965, allowing through trains on the LNER to finally use normal operating speeds, and allowing trains to run on both lines at the simultaneously.[17] The approach slopes into the dive-under's 2,160 feet (660 m) long channel have a gradient of 1 in 100 on the east and 1 in 133 on the west side. [17]
References
- ↑ Northern Rail Timetable 32, Sheffield to Lincoln 19 May - 7 December 2013 Northern Rail website; Retrieved 5 September 2013
- ↑ "Sheffield to Gainsborough to Lincoln/Cleethorpes Train Timetable" (PDF). Northern. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
- ↑ Railways Archive 1854 derailment report
- ↑ 1845 Gazette notice
- ↑ Nottinghamshire Archives record of Sheffield & Lincolnshire Junction Railway (Clarborough to Lincoln)
- ↑ Torksey Viaduct description, history and photo
- ↑ Modern Railways September 1966 p. 506
- ↑ Thrumpton signal box
- ↑ Norton, Emily (April 2018). "Regular train service to return to Gainsborough after 25 years". Lincolnshire Reporter. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
- ↑ "Report on the collision that occurred on 9th December 1983 at Wrawby Junction" (PDF). Railway Archives. Department of Transport.
- ↑ "Derailment leads to train delays". BBC News - Lincolnsire. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
- ↑ "Derailment at Clarborough tunnel, near Retford, Nottinghamshire, 27 April 2012" (PDF). Rail Accident Investigation Branch, Department for Transport.
- ↑ "Fatal accident involving a track worker at Saxilby 4 December 2012" (PDF). Rail Accident Investigation Branch, Department of Transport.
- ↑ "Freight train derails near Lincoln". The Lincolnite. Stonebow Media Ltd. 30 June 2015. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
- ↑ Railscot - Photographs of Lincoln www.railbrit.co.uk; Retrieved 5 September 2013
- ↑ "Timeline Article 'Dive-under at Retford' dated January 1963". RailUK. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
- 1 2 "Building of Retford Dive-under in 1963-65". Signalboxes.com. Retrieved 24 January 2018.