BRIGG RALWAY ANNIVERSARY TO BE MARKED BY CEREMONY ON WEDNESDAY

On Wednesday 1st October - at 10.30am - the Friends of Brigg and Lincoln Lines will hold a short ceremony at Gainsborough Central station to mark the passing of 21 years without a weekday passenger service. 

The Friends say: "Today the Brigg Line, as it is known, has a Saturday only "Parliamentary" train service thus cutting off communities from the rail network during the working week.
"The Friends of the Brigg & Lincoln Lines, in partnership with the Gainsborough Rail & Bus Group ( GRaB ), have worked with Northern Rail, local councils, MPs and the business community to maximise the potential for the Saturday passenger services between Sheffield and Cleethorpes via the on the Brigg line. The result has been a noticeable increase in passengers using the service.
"We have proposed to Northern Rail a Monday to Friday morning and evening peak service at Gainsborough Central using trains from Sheffield that currently terminate at Retford. This would be a first step towards introducing trains six days a week after this gap of 21 years which has been far too long for the people of northern Lincolnshire.

"Plans have also been presented to Northern Rail for an improved Saturday service without any extra trains or staff." 

NF ADDS: The reference to "Parliamentary" dates back to Victorian times when the Commons and Lords approved  the introduction of new lines and made the train companies provide a minimum of 3rd class carriages on trains stopping at all stations. They often ran very early or very late.