Lincolnshire loop line

Lincolnshire loop line
	Former station at Stixwould. The trackbed here is part of the Water Rail Way.
Overview
Locale	Lincolnshire
Dates of operation	1848–1963
Predecessor	Great Northern Railway
Successor	London and North Eastern Railway
Technical
Track gauge	4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Length	58 miles (93 km)
Route map
	Kirkstead and
	Little Steeping Railway
	Midland and Great
	Northern Joint Railway
	Midland and Great
	Northern Joint Railway
	Midland and Great
	Northern Joint Railway

The Lincolnshire loop line was a 58-mile (93 km) double-track railway built by the Great Northern Railway, that linked Peterborough to Lincoln via Spalding and Boston.

History

The Lincolnshire loop line was authorised on 26 June 1846 as part of the London and York Railway bill.[1] The then renamed Great Northern Railway purchased the Witham Navigation and all navigation rights the same year and began construction of the new line, partly beside the river, in 1847.[2] The line opened in 1848 and was for a short period the main route to the north and Scotland until the line from Peterborough to Retford was opened in August 1852. Closure came in sections: the first was Woodhall Junction to Boston which closed to passengers and goods on 17 June 1963.[3]

Route

The line from Lincoln to Boston was known as the Witham loop because it followed the course of the River Witham, passing through Washingborough, Five Mile House, Bardney, Southrey, Stixwould, Tattershall, Dogdyke, and Langrick. The line from Boston to Spalding passed through three intermediate stations, Kirton, Algarkirk and Sutterton, and Surfleet; much of this section is now under the A16 road. The final section to Peterborough also had three intermediate stations, Littleworth, St James Deeping, and Peakirk. This section is the only part of the line that remains in operation, although most of the stations have long been closed and disused.[3]

Six stations, Gainsborough Lea Road, Saxilby, Lincoln, Boston, Spalding and Peterborough North remain open, and are still part of the national network.[3]

List of railway stations

Gainsborough – line and station open.
- Lea – line open; station site closed.
- Stow Park – line open; station site closed.
Saxilby – line and station open.
Lincoln Central – line and station open.
- Washingborough – closed and disused.
- Five Mile House – closed and disused.
- Bardney – closed and disused.
- Southrey – closed and disused.
- Stixwould – closed and disused.
- Woodhall Junction – closed and disused.
- Tattershall – closed and disused.
- Dogdyke – closed and disused.
- Langrick – closed and disused.
Boston – line and station open.
- Kirton – line and station site lost under bypass.
- Algarkirk and Sutterton – line and station site lost under bypass.
- Surfleet – line and station site lost under bypass.
Spalding – line and station open.
- Littleworth – line open; station site closed.
- St. James Deeping – line open; station site closed.
- Peakirk – line open; station site closed.
Peterborough – line and station open.

Water Rail Way

There is a variety of art along the cycle route. Much is whimsical sculpture, but this mosaic commemorates a Bronze Age Craft site archaeologists discovered on the South Delph

The trackbed from Boston to Lincoln is now part of National Cycle Route 1, and is also known as Water Rail Way, a punning reference to the route and the bird.[4][5]

References

"Great Northern Railway Company: Records". The National Archives.
"Disused Stations". Subterranea Britannica.
Ludlam, A.J. (July 1995). Lincolnshire Loop Line (GNR) and the River Witham. Locomotion Papers. The Oakwood Press. ISBN 978-0853614647.
"Water Rail Way". Sustrans. Archived from the original on 2013-03-30. Retrieved 2013-03-12.
"Photographs of Water Rail Way". Geograph project. Retrieved 2013-03-12.

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.

[1] "Great Northern Railway Company: Records". The National Archives.

[2] "Disused Stations". Subterranea Britannica.

[BK-3] Ludlam, A.J. (July 1995). Lincolnshire Loop Line (GNR) and the River Witham. Locomotion Papers. The Oakwood Press. ISBN 978-0853614647.

[4] "Water Rail Way". Sustrans. Archived from the original on 2013-03-30. Retrieved 2013-03-12.

[5] "Photographs of Water Rail Way". Geograph project. Retrieved 2013-03-12.

Closed railway stations in Lincolnshire
North Lindsey Light Railway	Whitton Winteringham West Halton Winterton & Thealby Normanby Park (Goods) Scunthorpe (Dawes Lane)
Axholme Joint Railway	Eastoft Luddington Fockerby Crowle North Belton Epworth Haxey Town Haxey Junction
Barton and Immingham Light Railway	East Halton Killingholme Admiralty Platform Killingholme Immingham Dock Ulceby Aerodrome Platform
Grimsby and Immingham Electric Railway	Immingham Dock (electric) Eastern Entrance Immingham Queens Road Immingham (Eastern Jetty) Immingham Halt Immingham Town Kiln Lane Marsh Road LC No. 6 Passing Place No. 5 Passing Place No. 4 Passing Place Great Coates LC Pyewipe Depot Cleveland Bridge Cleveland Street Stortford Street Boulevard Rec Jackson Street Yarborough Street Corporation Bridge
Louth to Bardney Line	Hallington Withcall Donington on Bain South Willingham and Hainton East Barkwith Wragby Kingthorpe
East Lincolnshire Railway	Hainton Street Halt Weelsby Road Halt Waltham Holton Village Halt Holton-le-Clay Grainsby Halt Utterby Halt Fotherby Halt Louth Legbourne Road Authorpe Aby for Claythorpe Alford Town Willoughby Burgh-le-Marsh Firsby Little Steeping East Ville Old Leake Sibsey
Mablethorpe Loop Line	Grimoldby Saltfleetby Theddlethorpe Mablethorpe Sutton-on-Sea Mumby Road
Barton and New Holland Railway	New Holland Pier New Holland Town Thornton Curtis Brocklesby
Kirkstead and Little Steeping Railway	Coningsby Tumby Woodside New Bolingbroke Stickney Midville
Doncaster to Keadby line	Medge Hall Halt Godnow Bridge Keadby
Trent, Ancholme and Grimsby Railway	Gunhouse Wharf Gunness and Burringham Frodingham Appleby Elsham
Great Central Railway	Scawby Northorpe Blyton Bigby Road Bridge Howsham North Kelsey Moortown Holton Le Moor Claxby and Usselby Wickenby Snelland Langworth Reepham
Lincolnshire loop line	Washingborough Five Mile House Bardney Southrey Stixwould Woodhall Junction Tattershall Dogdyke Langrick Kirton Algarkirk and Sutterton Surfleet Littleworth St James Deeping
Gt Northern & Gt Eastern Jt Railway	Haxey and Epworth Lea Stow Park Skellingthorpe Branston & Heighington Potterhanworth Nocton and Dunston Scopwick and Timberland Digby Helpringham Donington Road Gosberton Pinchbeck Cowbit Postland French Drove and Gedney Hill
Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway	South Witham Castle Bytham Bourne Twenty Counter Drain North Drove Weston Moulton Whaplode Holbeach Fleet Gedney Long Sutton Sutton Bridge Tydd
Bourne and Sleaford Railway	Aswarby and Scredington Billingboro and Horbling Rippingale Morton Road
Bourne and Essendine Railway	Thurlby Wilsthorpe Crossing Halt Braceboro Spa
Grantham–Peterborough line	Claypole Hougham Great Ponton Corby Glen Little Bytham Tallington
Lincoln–Grantham line	Lincoln St. Marks Bracebridge Waddington Harmston Navenby Leadenham Caythorpe Honington Barkston
Other lines	Alford Town Denton Edenham Grantham Ambergate Yard Grimsby Pier Halton Holegate Horncastle Jolly Bacchus Inn Riby Street Platform Seacroft Sedgebrook Skellingthorpe Spilsby Stamford East Thorpe-on-the-Hill Torksey Woodhall Spa