BRIGG LINE TRAIN SERVICE ENJOYS BUSIEST WEEK SO FAR

FROM PAUL JOHNSON, Station Portfolio Manager, Gainsborough, Retford & Brigg Bus and Rail Group (GRaB) 

The busiest Saturday so far on the Brigg line with unbelievable scenes on the trains and overcrowding on most of them.
The 0803 Shefield Midland to Cleethorpes had the following pick-ups of passengers that travelled on the Brigg Line. 
Numbers are up to Brigg, where I alighted:

• Sheffield Midland 13 
• Darnall 0 
• Woodhouse 5
• Kiveton Bridge 4 
• Kiveton Park 2 
• Shireoaks 6 
• Worksop 24 
• Retford 17 
• Gainsborough Central 43 
• Kirton in Lindsey 34 
• Brigg 9.

At Kirton in Lindsey the train was full  with around 120 passengers on board. It was noted that there were no special events at Cleethorpes.
Details were passed on to GRaB that the passengers using the train at Kirton in Lindsey were doing so after a leaflet drop of  Brigg Line Guides recently. 
The 1203 Sheffield to Cleethorpes was well loaded again. It  has been noted that since the removal of Northern Rail's Duo Ticket in January, more passengers holding a North Lincolnshire bus pass are travelling by train after the market for families to travel was withdrawn from Kirton in Lindsey and Brigg. 
The 1114 Cleethorpes to Sheffield Midland was lightly loaded due to again no flexibility in the timetable for an earlier train. However it was noted that one passenger was travelling to Retford for a connection to London. 
The 1520 Cleethorpes to Sheffield Midland was full leaving Cleethorpes and remained so until passengers started alighting at Brigg and beyond.
The 1601 Sheffield Midland to Cleethorpes was lightly loaded due  again to the lack of flexibility in the timetable and the train leaving just 16 minutes after the Sheffield to Lincoln service. However, this forms the 1832 Cleethorpes to Sheffield and reports were that this train was well loaded when returning.
The Brigg station area was much better this week. It was nice to see that events are now been advertised at the entrance to the station (see picture below) and that for the second week in a row the Call Connect Bus awaited, on Station Road, for customers coming off the train.