Type Heavy rail Status Operational Stations 6 Owner Network Rail | System National Rail Locale East Midlands Operator(s) East Midlands Trains Terminis Lincoln, Peterborough | |
 | ||
Rolling stocks British Rail Class 153, British Rail Class 156 | ||
The Peterborough–Lincoln line is a railway line linking Peterborough and Lincoln Central, via Sleaford and Spalding.
Contents
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 (see diagram). 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 (and beyond to Doncaster) 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 he 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 (TCB). However, Sleaford East box remains for now: resignalling is due around 2019/2020, when the whole area will switch to York rail operating centre (ROC) along with Lincoln signalling centre.
Linespeeds
Incidents
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 to be built around 2019 to allow freight and passenger serves to cross the East Coast Main Line.