SAD BRIGG MILESTONE 'HIGHLIGHTS NEED FOR NEW SHUTTLE TRAIN SERVICE'

Efforts continue to improve the passenger train service at Brigg railway station which reached an unwanted milestone yesterday (Thursday).  On this date 27 years ago, trains stopped calling on weekdays; and since October 1, 1993 the Brigg line has had to make do with a Saturday-only service.
The Independent Brigg Line Rail Group, campaigning for more trains to operate on more days, tells Brigg Blog that it has the support of many within the railway industry for its idea of a new Cleethorpes to Worksop 'shuttle' via Brigg "to solve the unacceptable service level the line has at present."
In 2012 the then Friends of the Brigg Line Rail Group (now The Independent Brigg Line Rail Group) & The Gainsborough Rail and Bus Group carried out extensive promotions to get potential customers to use the one-day-a-week train service to visit places like Brigg, Grimsby and Cleethorpes.
The IBLRG says this led to a 35 to 40% increase in passenger numbers for a time "before, sadly, a decline due to unfortunate circumstances including Covid."
However, online promotions have now started again through the IBLRG "with Brigg being the main target."
Pictured above  are views of Brigg station taken 30 years apart - a passenger unit calling shortly before weekday services were withdrawn (courtesy of Phill Hewson) and one taken a couple of weeks ago by Brigg Blog as the first train for a week pulled in.

Travellers boarding passenger trains at Brigg tomorrow (Saturday, October 3) should note the following departure times.
From platform one - heading east to Barnetby, Grimsby Town and Cleethorpes - 8.59am, 1pm and 4.58pm.

From platform two - calling at Kirton Lindsey, Gainsborough, Retford and Sheffield -  11.48am, 3.43pm and 7.48pm.
All trains were suspended from late March until September 19 when they resumed successfully - giving Brigg back its link to the national rail network, first established in 1848.
However, last Saturday (September 26) operator Northern cancelled the last two trains of the day "because of driver shortages" and eventually ran substitute bus services.
Brigg Blog was thinking of using last Saturday's first train from Brigg - changing at Barnetby to visit Newark. We intended to catch the last train of the day at Barnetby to get back to town shortly before 8pm. We decided not to do so in the end, which was perhaps just as well, as it didn't run.
The Independent Brigg Line Rail Group, which campaigns for greater use of our local passenger service, has supplied us with details of various social media exchanges from last Saturday - relating to the train cancellations and also setting out what passengers who are inconvenienced can expect to receive under the regulations.
The group says the train operator's social media team eventually tweeted that a replacement coach service would be running between Retford and Cleethorpes and then from Cleethorpes to Sheffield.
On a positive note, the four trains which did run last Saturday were quite busy, the group says.
"This was mainly down to the online promotion that had been done in the week, and the fact the Sheffield-bound trains were busy because of a line blockage at Keadby Canal, thus meaning there was no direct services on TransPennine Express to Sheffield (via Barnetby and Scunthorpe)," it explains.
The Brigg line is classed as a diversionary route and shows its "full potential when issues at Scunthorpe arrive," the group stresses.
 

 

Following last week's issues, some new "mini signs" have been placed in the waiting shelters on Brigg and Kirton in Lindsey stations to inform customers who to ring if their train is late or they think it has been cancelled. Ring 0800 2006060.
N.F. adds: Please don't let last Saturday's unexpected issues put you off travelling on the Brigg line. Most of the time, things go to plan, and the passenger service could do with your support.