adrock1976
Established Member
I have had a go at creating a clockface timetable for Skegness and maybe a possible reopening to Louth (see https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/louth-reopening-and-london-service-for-sleaford.228673/ as how the Louth reopening came about) which if it ever goes ahead, will almost certainly be post HS2/Midlands Powerhouse.
My start point was to leave the timings for the Norwich - Nottingham (the present day Norwich - Liverpool is due to be split into two sections) as it cannot really be radically altered due to a single track section over the Trowse in Norwich (which shares track with London Liverpool Street trains), Ely area due to Felixstowe freight and sharing track with London Liverpool Street/Kings Cross trains, and London Kings Cross InterCity trains between Peterborough and Grantham. The only minor tweak I have made is to have all the Norwich trains call at Bingham for simplicity, as some do and others don't.
I have designed the timetable so as to provide decent connections at Sleaford, as in that part of Lincolnshire this issue has been raised a few times by some members over the years. Being as Sleaford station is on a loop for the Peterborough - Doncaster trains, they would not get in the way of any freight trains as they would bypass the station. Although not a showstopper, it can be done with the existing three platforms although a fourth would be better for robustness (I cannot see where a fourth platform could go on the Boston side of the station, as from what I could see there was never any track there, and also to the east there is a road level crossing where the single track section starts soon after.
The stations at Swineshead, Hubberts Bridge, and Thorpe Culvert will be downgraded to request stops with a Grantham - Louth and Skegness local train calling all stations. The stations that could be reopened on the Louth line would be Louth (Monks Dyke Road) for Grimsby and Mablethorpe bus link, Legbourne (Station Road) for Kenwick Park, Alford (Station Road, possibly to the west of the original site so as to avoid some obstructions), and Burgh-le-Marsh (Station Road) for Gunby Hall. I have included a station at Firsby Junction (Spilsby Road, south of the original site) for illustrative purposes to see if a Skegness - Louth journey could be done by rail without too much of an interchange time. I have the train from Louth arriving at xx13 with the Skegness departing at xx29. In the opposite direction, it is xx48 from Skegness and xx04 to Louth. The interchange is 16 minutes, which I am not sure if it would encourage residents of both towns to leave cars at home and use public transport, as the distance by road is shorter.
Havenhouse station would be formally closed, unless any developments are going to happen directly south of the station. As the station is around a quarter mile from the main road, there is already a bus that runs along the main road to the next station west at Wainfleet.
I admit that while designing the timetable, I had my post HS2/Midlands Powerhouse thinking cap on, and how so many trains terminating at Nottingham could be resolved bearing in mind that some would be dedicated to the HS2/MP and the remaining London St Pancras traditional InterCity. Furthermore, the Liverpool - Norwich would be split into two sections as well, and hopefully the present Matlock train that has been curtailed to a Derby shuttle will be restored to Nottingham. I decided to send this onwards to Grantham, calling all stations every 60 minutes with the exception of Netherfield and Elton & Orston, which will alternate every 2 hours calling on request. The Grantham - Louth/Skegness local all stations would couple/uncouple at Boston. Both of these would enable the Nottingham - Skegness to be a Regional Express, calling Radcliffe (Notts), Bingham, Sleaford, Heckington, Boston, Firsby Junction (if worthwhile having a station there), Wainfleet, and Skegness. Maybe the Nottingham could alternate calls between Rauceby and Ancaster if it is desired for Nottingham trains to call at one or both?
There would be bus links at Louth (for Grimsby and Mablethorpe), and at Spalding (for Boston and Kings Lynn), both integrated in the railway ticketing system.
Peterborough - Doncaster via Lincoln Central would run every 60 minutes, with stations at Donington (Lincs), Heighington & Washingborough, and Finningley reopened. Short workings Peterborough - Lincoln Central, and Gainsborough Central (maybe start back from Barton on Humber/Grimsby Town?) would run in the opposite half hour to the through service so as to provide a 30 minute frequency at the reopened stations, plus good connections at Sleaford regardless of which direction passengers would be travelling. The Lincoln Central - Gainsborough Lea Road section is already covered with a broadly 30 minute frequency with the present Northern Lincoln - Sheffield every 60 minutes. Obviously, if the short workings are going to constantly be in the way of freight trains, the short workings need not run.
On a final point, I have considered sending both the Worksop/Mansfield Woodhouse trains beyond Nottingham to Gedling, which would require the track between Netherfield and Gedling being reinstated. As the trains on the Robin Hood normally run every 30 minutes to/from Mansfield Woodhouse, these would be the easiest to send the short distance to Gedling out of the way freeing up platforms at Nottingham.
I have attached the file in .xlsx format, but if anyone has difficulty opening the file, I can convert to pdf if need be.
My start point was to leave the timings for the Norwich - Nottingham (the present day Norwich - Liverpool is due to be split into two sections) as it cannot really be radically altered due to a single track section over the Trowse in Norwich (which shares track with London Liverpool Street trains), Ely area due to Felixstowe freight and sharing track with London Liverpool Street/Kings Cross trains, and London Kings Cross InterCity trains between Peterborough and Grantham. The only minor tweak I have made is to have all the Norwich trains call at Bingham for simplicity, as some do and others don't.
I have designed the timetable so as to provide decent connections at Sleaford, as in that part of Lincolnshire this issue has been raised a few times by some members over the years. Being as Sleaford station is on a loop for the Peterborough - Doncaster trains, they would not get in the way of any freight trains as they would bypass the station. Although not a showstopper, it can be done with the existing three platforms although a fourth would be better for robustness (I cannot see where a fourth platform could go on the Boston side of the station, as from what I could see there was never any track there, and also to the east there is a road level crossing where the single track section starts soon after.
The stations at Swineshead, Hubberts Bridge, and Thorpe Culvert will be downgraded to request stops with a Grantham - Louth and Skegness local train calling all stations. The stations that could be reopened on the Louth line would be Louth (Monks Dyke Road) for Grimsby and Mablethorpe bus link, Legbourne (Station Road) for Kenwick Park, Alford (Station Road, possibly to the west of the original site so as to avoid some obstructions), and Burgh-le-Marsh (Station Road) for Gunby Hall. I have included a station at Firsby Junction (Spilsby Road, south of the original site) for illustrative purposes to see if a Skegness - Louth journey could be done by rail without too much of an interchange time. I have the train from Louth arriving at xx13 with the Skegness departing at xx29. In the opposite direction, it is xx48 from Skegness and xx04 to Louth. The interchange is 16 minutes, which I am not sure if it would encourage residents of both towns to leave cars at home and use public transport, as the distance by road is shorter.
Havenhouse station would be formally closed, unless any developments are going to happen directly south of the station. As the station is around a quarter mile from the main road, there is already a bus that runs along the main road to the next station west at Wainfleet.
I admit that while designing the timetable, I had my post HS2/Midlands Powerhouse thinking cap on, and how so many trains terminating at Nottingham could be resolved bearing in mind that some would be dedicated to the HS2/MP and the remaining London St Pancras traditional InterCity. Furthermore, the Liverpool - Norwich would be split into two sections as well, and hopefully the present Matlock train that has been curtailed to a Derby shuttle will be restored to Nottingham. I decided to send this onwards to Grantham, calling all stations every 60 minutes with the exception of Netherfield and Elton & Orston, which will alternate every 2 hours calling on request. The Grantham - Louth/Skegness local all stations would couple/uncouple at Boston. Both of these would enable the Nottingham - Skegness to be a Regional Express, calling Radcliffe (Notts), Bingham, Sleaford, Heckington, Boston, Firsby Junction (if worthwhile having a station there), Wainfleet, and Skegness. Maybe the Nottingham could alternate calls between Rauceby and Ancaster if it is desired for Nottingham trains to call at one or both?
There would be bus links at Louth (for Grimsby and Mablethorpe), and at Spalding (for Boston and Kings Lynn), both integrated in the railway ticketing system.
Peterborough - Doncaster via Lincoln Central would run every 60 minutes, with stations at Donington (Lincs), Heighington & Washingborough, and Finningley reopened. Short workings Peterborough - Lincoln Central, and Gainsborough Central (maybe start back from Barton on Humber/Grimsby Town?) would run in the opposite half hour to the through service so as to provide a 30 minute frequency at the reopened stations, plus good connections at Sleaford regardless of which direction passengers would be travelling. The Lincoln Central - Gainsborough Lea Road section is already covered with a broadly 30 minute frequency with the present Northern Lincoln - Sheffield every 60 minutes. Obviously, if the short workings are going to constantly be in the way of freight trains, the short workings need not run.
On a final point, I have considered sending both the Worksop/Mansfield Woodhouse trains beyond Nottingham to Gedling, which would require the track between Netherfield and Gedling being reinstated. As the trains on the Robin Hood normally run every 30 minutes to/from Mansfield Woodhouse, these would be the easiest to send the short distance to Gedling out of the way freeing up platforms at Nottingham.
I have attached the file in .xlsx format, but if anyone has difficulty opening the file, I can convert to pdf if need be.
