Peterborough–Lincoln line


The Peterborough–Lincoln line is a railway line linking and, via and. Between Lincoln and Spalding, the line follows the route of the former Great Northern and Great Eastern Joint Railway.

History

The section between Peterborough and Spalding closed to passengers on 5 October 1970 and re-opened on 7 June 1971. North of Spalding, Ruskington re-opened on 5 May 1975. Metheringham followed on 6 October 1975.
Intermediate stations south of Sleaford did not re-open. There has been agitation by local communities to re-open Littleworth on a park-and-ride basis for Peterborough. In 2016 this was costed at £4.3 million as it would need a footbridge and car parking availability.

Description

The towns and villages served by the route are listed below;
After an upgrade in 2015, the route through to Lincoln has a regular role as a diversionary route for trains from the East Coast Main Line mostly for slower freight services, but occasionally for passenger trains too. As a result, the route is now open 24 hours per day.

Infrastructure

The line is not electrified. The line is controlled by Lincoln signalling centre from Werrington Junction to Lincoln, worked under track circuit block regulations. However, Sleaford East box remains for now: resignalling is due around 2019/2020, when the whole area will switch to York rail operating centre along with Lincoln signalling centre.

Linespeeds

One person died and 30 people were injured in the Nocton rail accident when a train hit a vehicle on the tracks at the site of a removed bridge, on 28 February 2002.
On 6 December 2004 two people died in a collision between a car and a class 153 DMU on a user operated crossing south east of Helpringham.

Proposed developments

A new grade separated junction at Werrington is being built from September 2018 to allow freight and passenger services to cross the East Coast Main Line. It is expected to be open in 2021.