MAXIMUM EFFORT BENEFITS BRIGG LINE TRAIN PASSENGERS

 

Praise has been forthcoming after all six timetabled local passenger trains ran yesterday - calling at Brigg and Kirton in Lindsey railway stations as well as picking up and dropping off travellers in Barnetby.
In recent weeks, for various reasons, the Saturdays-only Northern company train service between Sheffield and Cleethorpes via Brigg has been replaced by buses substituting along the route (example pictured below).
But yesterday (Saturday, August 7) the Brigg line received its full allocation of trains, despite operational difficulties affecting some other services in Lincolnshire.
The campaigning Independent Brigg Line Rail Group told Brigg Blog this morning that the Northern company ensured that all the Brigg services were fully crewed although "the Sheffield to Lincoln via Gainsborough Lea Road services were mostly cancelled yesterday."
The IBLRG added: "A decision by the train operator to make sure all of the six services on the Brigg Line ran on Saturday was gratefully received by the communities of Brigg and Kirton in Lindsey who, despite having a one-day-a-week train service, use the Northern services to connect them with other communities "
The first train of the day bound for Cleethorpes "was exceptionally busy" with all the other services reported to have "healthy" passenger loads.
"The passenger numbers at Brigg were very encouraging after a few weeks of cancellations due to the 'pingdemic'. This bodes well for future rail travellers going to Brigg in the next few weeks with the antiques fair coming up, followed by the Farmers' Market soon after," the group said.
The IBLRG was delighted to see that the social media team at the South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive also tweeted in support of travelling on the Brigg Line, giving the times of all six trains and pointing out that passengers could use the route through Brigg as an alternative to taking the alternative option via Scunthorpe. This information appeared on Twitter through @TSYalerts
The Brigg line also showed its use as diversionary route for freight trains yesterday. Local rail supporter Phillip Hewson took the picture seen above at 12.34pm of a Doncaster to Immingham empty coal train passing through Brigg station. It would normally have used the route through Scunthorpe but there were operational difficulties.

 

There was no need for a replacement bus  like this one to call at Brigg railway station yesterday.