Sheffield–Lincoln line

The Sheffield–Lincoln line is a railway line in England. It runs from Sheffield to Lincoln via Worksop, Retford and Gainsborough Lea Road. The route comprises the main line of the former Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway (MS&LR), to Gainsborough Trent Junction, where it then follows the former Great Northern and Great Eastern Joint Railway (GNGEJR) to Lincoln Central. The former MS&LR main line continues from Trent Junction to Wrawby Junction, Barnetby, much of it now single line, where it then runs to Cleethorpes.

Sheffield–Lincoln line
Kiveton Bridge station
Overview
StatusOperational
OwnerNetwork Rail
LocaleEast Midlands
Yorkshire and the Humber
Termini
  • Sheffield
  • Lincoln (main line),
    Cleethorpes (Brigg Branch)
Stations11 (main Line), 20 (Brigg branch)
Service
TypeHeavy rail
SystemNational Rail
Operator(s)Northern
East Midlands Railway
Rolling stockClass 158 "Express Sprinter"
Technical
Track length48 miles (77 km) (main line)
72 miles (116 km) (Brigg branch)
Number of tracksTwo
(One on sections on Brigg branch)
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
ElectrificationNo
Operating speed60 miles per hour (97 km/h) (Max.)
Route map

(Click to expand)

Routes

Current services

The line comprises two passenger routes: the main line route from Sheffield to Lincoln and a branch line route running from Sheffield to Cleethorpes, using the Brigg branch line from Gainsborough Trent Junction.[1] North of Gainsborough Central the Brigg branch line primarily carries freight trains to/from the Port of Immingham.

Main line route

The route largely follows the former MS&LR main line, until Trent Junction, Gainsborough where it goes on to follow the former GNGEJR line to Lincoln.

An hourly service provided by Northern runs along this route. Additional services provided by East Midlands Railway serve the section between Lincoln and Gainsborough Lea Road en route to Doncaster.

Brigg branch line route

This route follows the former MS&LR main line to Cleethorpes.

On weekdays, a single daily service Sheffield and Gainsborough Central is provided by Northern. This was introduced in the May 2023 timetable change and is the first regular weekday service to on the Brigg branch since 1993.[2] Passenger services along the entire route only ran on Saturdays previously, when Northern operates three services each way between Sheffield and Cleethorpes. At Barnetby, the route is joined by the South Humberside Main Line and the section between there and Cleethorpes is also served by hourly trains from Manchester Airport, operated by TransPennine Express.

The Brigg Branch line is single from Barnetby to Brigg, and Kirton Tunnel to Thonock (North of Gainsborough Central) with a passing loop at Northorpe. Other sections are double track.

Clarborough Junction-Sykes Junction branch

Clarborough Junction is about 3.75 miles (6.04 km) east of Retford.[3] This Sheffield and Lincolnshire Junction Railway branch had originally been proposed in 1844.[4] It opened on 7 August 1850[5]

The line diverged from the MS&LR main line at Clarborough junction ran through Leverton, Cottam and Torksey to Sykes Junction (located about 1.3 miles (2.1 km) northwest of Saxilby). Services from Sheffield via the branch line to Lincoln, then continuing to Grimsby and Cleethorpes via Market Rasen, used to operate along the line. Opening of the line was delayed for four months by controversy over the safety of Torksey Viaduct. It is now a Grade II listed structure, though the line closed to passengers on 2 November 1959.[6]

In 1967 the line was reopened from Clarborough Junction to Cottam to serve Cottam power stations and is now solely used for freight traffic. On reopening, Clarborough Junction signalbox was closed and control passed to Thrumpton, and the two level crossings were converted to automatic half barriers.[7] The Thrumpton box was rebuilt in 2014.[8]

With the closure of Cottam power station in 2019, the line has since remained disused with it. The final train to travel over this branchline was "The Cottam Farewell" railtour, which travelled over the line on 28 September 2019. The train line is still classed as "Live" despite no trains passing down the line since this date. Mandatory inspections and patrols still take place of which are done on foot, however there are no official plans to reopen the line for passenger or freight traffic as of March 2023.[9]

Accidents and incidents
  • On 9 December 1983, a freight train collided at low speed with the side of a local passenger train at Wrawby Junction. The first carriage of the passenger train was derailed and turned over onto its side, and one passenger was killed instantly.[10]
  • On 28 February 2007, an EWS freight train derailed at a set of points between Lincoln Central train station and Lincoln High Street level crossing. There were no injuries.[11]
  • On 27 April 2012, a Northern Rail passenger train running the Lincoln-Adwick route derailed as it was leaving Clarborough Tunnel on the Retford side. This was due to a landslip onto the line. The driver and a passenger were taken to hospital with minor injuries.[12]
  • 4 December 2012, a Northern Rail Passenger train running a Scunthorpe-Lincoln route, struck and fatally injured a worker on the tracks near Saxilby.[13]
  • On 30 June 2015, a DB Schenker freight train was derailed near the site of Langworth station, on the Lincoln-Grimsby line.[14]

Types of train

The line is operated by Northern Trains, which mainly utilises Class 195 sets (though Class 150 DMUs can also appear[15]). From Gainsborough Trent Junction (where the line from Doncaster joins) eastwards to Lincoln, Class 158, Class 170 and Class 156 units operated by East Midlands Railway share the route beyond West Trent Junction with trains to/from Doncaster.

Most freight traffic using the line will leave this line and join the Doncaster to Lincoln line at West Trent Junction. With the closure of both West Burton Power Station and Cottam Power Station freight traffic west of West Trent Junction has ceased, aside from occasional freight diversions through the night.

Retford dive-under

The Sheffield and Lincolnshire Junction Railway (S&LJR) (later Great Central Railway (GCR), now the Sheffield–Lincoln line) was the first railway in Retford, arriving on 6 July 1849. This was then joined by the Great Northern Railway (GNR) line from Doncaster, arriving on 4 September 1849 with the GNR crossing the S&LJR at a flat crossing. This flat crossing caused congestion as trains could not run on both lines at the same time; this was to become a bigger problem when the West Burton and Cottam power stations were built, as they would require 5 million imperial tons (approx. 5 million tonnes) of coal a year, to be sourced from the National Coal Board's coalfields in the East Midlands and North East. The flat crossing also placed a speed restriction on express trains using the GNR line.[16]

In order to alleviate these problems a dive-under was constructed, by which the GCR passed under a new bridge which the GNR passed over. Construction started in 1963 and was completed in 1965. During construction, trains continued to use the flat crossing. Upon completion of the dive-under the flat crossing was finally removed on 13 June 1965, allowing through trains on the GNR to run at normal operating speeds, and allowing trains to run on both lines simultaneously.[17] The approach slopes into the dive-under's 2,160 feet (660 m) long channel have a gradient of 1 in 100 on the east and 1 in 133 on the west side.[17]

References
  1. "Train times Sheffield to Gainsborough to Lincoln/Cleethorpes 19 May 2019 to 14 December 2019" (PDF). Arriva Rail North Ltd. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  2. "A new hourly train service welcomed after 26 year break". www.west-lindsey.gov.uk. West Lindsey District Council. 22 May 2019.
  3. Railways Archive 1854 derailment report
  4. 1845 Gazette notice
  5. Nottinghamshire Archives record of Sheffield & Lincolnshire Junction Railway (Clarborough to Lincoln)
  6. Torksey Viaduct description, history and photo
  7. Modern Railways. No. 216. September 1966. p. 506. {{cite magazine}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  8. Thrumpton signal box
  9. "Usage of Cottam Power Station Branch Line - a Freedom of Information request to Network Rail Limited". whatdotheyknow.com. 6 January 2020. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
  10. "Report on the collision that occurred on 9th December 1983 at Wrawby Junction" (PDF). Railway Archives. Department of Transport. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
  11. "Derailment leads to train delays". BBC News – Lincolnshire. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
  12. "Derailment at Clarborough tunnel, near Retford, Nottinghamshire, 27 April 2012" (PDF). Rail Accident Investigation Branch, Department for Transport. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
  13. "Fatal accident involving a track worker at Saxilby 4 December 2012" (PDF). Rail Accident Investigation Branch, Department of Transport. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
  14. "Freight train derails near Lincoln". The Lincolnite. Stonebow Media Ltd. 30 June 2015. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
  15. Railscot - Photographs of Lincoln www.railbrit.co.uk; Retrieved 5 September 2013
  16. "Timeline Article 'Dive-under at Retford' dated January 1963". RailUK. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
  17. "Building of Retford Dive-under in 1963-65". Signalboxes.com. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
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