A campaigner for better public transport in Brigg is on the right track with a review he's now undertaken of the town's passenger train service - past and present - including memorable decades when this was seen as "a prized public asset."
Local man Phill Hewson has penned his thoughts in the latest issue of the Brigg Matters community magazine, under the apt headline When Brigg Had A 'Proper' Station.
We'll review Phill's article in a moment, but first an appeal prompted by us to try and get the Saturdays-only service (just 3 trains to Cleethorpes and 3 to Sheffield) extended to other days of the week with many more trains in operation daily.
This will allow people to change trains at Barnetby to visit Lincoln, Newark and Doncaster (via Scunthorpe) or use the extended Brigg line service to Retford and switch trains to the East Coast mainline between London, York and Scotland.
Brigg Blog suggests that ANYONE who wants to see a meaningful passenger train service restored should pledge his/her support NOW via the Independent Brigg Line Rail Group (IBLRG) which continues to press for improvements - email thebrigglinegroup@gmail.com
Receiving these messages will help the IBLRG in its campaign to bring about improvements.
The group told Brigg Blog this week: "Our email address is also available if locals wish to put forward ideas on how to improve not only the services but the gateway to the station and views on better information in the town (see picture below from the IBLRG)."
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| A display at Brigg Buttercross promoting the Brigg line train service (since suspended temporarily). |
Phill's two-page article in Brigg Matters (Spring 2021) begins by recalling the era when our station was an important one (with a roof over both platforms) on the Manchester, Sheffield & Lincolnshire Railway MAINLINE.
He says: "Almost unbelievably, despite many trials and tribulations, the line that runs through Brigg has still, after 170 years, continued to hang on by its sleeper nails to a passenger train service - albeit one day a week." (Currently suspended due to the virus emergency but set to resume in the Spring).
He admits: "Attempts to persuade locals to use the service more have had limited success; no surprise when there isn't much of a service to use. But there is no doubt that locals would use a decent daily service if it was available, not just for pleasure trips but also for work, shopping expeditions and to connect to the East Coast mainline."
The article makes reference to two schemes, now in the planning stage, proposing to improve the passenger train service.
One (supported by North Lincolnshire Council) involves a new service between Barton, Brigg, Barnetby, Kirton Lindsey & Gainsborough.
The other, put forward by the IBLRG, is for a 'shuttle' to run between Worksop and Cleethorpes, calling at intermediate stations including Brigg.
Phill's article stresses that the necessary infrastructure is in place - the Brigg line being "fully operational" with investment in signalling/communication facilities and the installation of a modern barrier crossing on Bigby Road, Brigg, last year.
"However, none of this was done to hasten the arrival of a daily passenger train service," Phil notes, "rather to make it suitable as a fully functioning route for freight traffic."
Illustrated with half-a-dozen pictures, Phill's feature includes a very rare view of Brigg station in 1957 - just a few years before the canopy over the tracks was removed by British Railways.
Closure of the entire Brigg line was considered in the 1980s but British Rail decided against it, although some sections were reduced from double to single track. Cutting the timetable to a mere six passenger trains a week (only on Saturdays) was implemented in 1993.
Copies of Brigg Matters (Spring 2021) were distributed in the town recently by a team of volunteers. All the pages from this issue are now available to read online via the magazine's website.
PICTURED: A Cleethorpes-bound train picking up passengers in Brigg - September 2019 (main image); a Saturday train in platform 2 while heading for Retford & Sheffield - February 2019; and part of Phill Hewson's feature article in Brigg Matters.