Rail line campaigner Paul Johnson has released latest figures on his blog.
Phil Hewson, of Brigg, who also takes a very keen interest in the well-being of the service, has told Paul that 52 passengers were evident last Saturday (February 25) which was the day of the monthly farmers' market.
They helped raise the total number of Brigg passengers for the year to 197, which is 80 more than by late February 2016.
Publicity undertaken by the rail line campaigners has definitely helped attract more people to take the train.
Read Paul's Brigg Line Blog report in full using this link...
For those not yet in the know, there are three passenger trains from Brigg station each Saturday to Grimsby and Cleethorpes (see picture) and also three going to Gainsborough, Retford and Sheffield.
These trains all call at Kirton Lindsey and Barnetby stations.
Positive proof here that people's awareness of the line has been awakened after over two decade's worth of misplaced belief that the lane was closed altogether. What is now needed is the addition of a fourth pair of trains arranged for the benefit of passengers travelling east-west in the mornings and returning later in the day, for example around 08.00 from Cleethorpes/Grimsby and returning from Sheffield 17.00/18.00ish. in the evenings. The current 08.03 from Sheffield loads well in the summer months and I think that whilst such a train in the opposite direction would not carry such heavy seasonal loadings its potential would significantly contribute to growth with reasonably consistent passenger numbers throughout the year. The challenge would be to find a way of making this possible as Northern, who operate the service, have no train crews based at Cleethorpes although one idea is that Trans-Pennine crews could have a hand in the service which would come with the added benefit that Cleethorpes crews would then have knowledge of the route via Brigg and be able to operate that way in times of emergency when the Scunthorpe line is out of use.
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