ChrisC
Established Member
There have been numerous threads concerning the rail Service to Brigg. Discussions about the inadequate timetable, including the recent timetable change and which TOC should operate the service, have been discussed at length. This is my report on using the line for a day trip to Brigg so please don‘t use this thread to go over all the old discussions from the other threads. I know that the new Monday to Friday service of only one return journey from Sheffield to Cleethorpes is pretty useless for most journeys. It doesn’t allow long enough for a day out in Cleethorpes and does not enable people from stations on the line to travel west for a day. However, it does, for the first time allow people from South Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire and beyond to visit Brigg for almost 3 hours for the Thursday market day.
Although I live in Nottinghamshire, with easy access to the Brigg line via Worksop, until yesterday it is a line that I have never travelled along. I’d been intending to have a trip to Cleethorpes one Saturday for years but never got around to it. I’d read that Brigg is quite a pleasant historic town with a market on Thursdays so yesterday I decided to give it a try.
I used Hucknall station, north of Nottingham, on the Robin Hood Line to begin my journey to Brigg with one change of train at Worksop. Unfortunately the connections at Worksop are not good with a wait of approximately 40 minutes on the outward journey and 55 minutes on the return journey. Not bad on a warm sunny day like yesterday when I could sit in the sun on Worksop station and read. With my Senior Railcard it amazingly was only £9.30 for an Anytime Day Return from Hucknall to Brigg. Hucknall to Worksop is a route that I am very familiar and it was good yesterday to do my outward and return journey on 170204, an ex Greater Anglia unit, which was in much better condition inside than many of the EMR 170’s. I do find the 170’s quite noisy and slow at accelerating between the numerous stops on the gradients on the Robin Hood Line in comparison to 156’s and 158’s. I can’t help but think that is part of the reason why the old tried and tested timetable has not been restored. Another observation was the fact that on both the outward and return journeys I never had my ticket checked. On the return journey there were large groups of youths travelling short distances like Mansfield to Kirkby and Kirkby to Newstead and I do wonder if any of them actually had tickets. I’ve had my ticket checked very few times on the Robin Hood Line recently.
150210 was the unit on the Sheffield to Cleethorpes run yesterday. I had checked earlier that morning that it was actually running before I set out on my journey. The train was very well loaded when it arrived in Worksop with quite a number of passengers getting off at both Worksop and Retford. A handful of people boarded at both Worksop and Retford. About half a dozen people got off at Gainsborough Central and one person got on. The train was still well over half full on departure from Gainsborough Central. I found it a very pleasant ride through nice countryside. The only problem being huge amounts of shredded leaves that were being ripped off the line side vegetation and coming in through the open windows. I think yesterday was an unusually busy day for Brigg Station! There were four of us getting off the train at Brigg and about half a dozen people waiting to get on, including some people with suitcases.
The exit from the station is all a bit derelict and doesn’t give a good impression of the town. However, on walking the short distance to the town centre things really improved. It is a nice historic market town with some lovely old buildings. The High Street was busy and there was a good selection of independent shops including some good butchers, bakers etc and numerous places to eat and drink. The Thursday market was also busy with a small but good selection of stalls. It was a bit too hot to buy fresh food items to bring back with me on a journey home of almost 3 hours. The timetable allows almost 3 hours in Brigg which was just about right for a good wander around the town and market, have something to eat and drink followed by a walk along the River Ancholme. The new timetable may not be much use for days out in Cleethorpes etc but I would encourage people to use it for a trip to Brigg, especially on Market Day.
I was the only person boarding the afternoon return train and just one person got off. The train was very well loaded with through passengers. A surprisingly large number of people got off at Retford obviously making connections there but the train was still quite well loaded with passengers travelling towards Sheffield. Quite a number were waiting to get on at Worksop as I got off.
That was a much longer report than I intended to write! I must go again on a cooler day when I can bring some Lincolnshire sausages back with me for the freezer. I might have another day out soon and explore Kirton Lindsey, smaller place but looks a nice area to have a walk around for 3 hours.
Although I live in Nottinghamshire, with easy access to the Brigg line via Worksop, until yesterday it is a line that I have never travelled along. I’d been intending to have a trip to Cleethorpes one Saturday for years but never got around to it. I’d read that Brigg is quite a pleasant historic town with a market on Thursdays so yesterday I decided to give it a try.
I used Hucknall station, north of Nottingham, on the Robin Hood Line to begin my journey to Brigg with one change of train at Worksop. Unfortunately the connections at Worksop are not good with a wait of approximately 40 minutes on the outward journey and 55 minutes on the return journey. Not bad on a warm sunny day like yesterday when I could sit in the sun on Worksop station and read. With my Senior Railcard it amazingly was only £9.30 for an Anytime Day Return from Hucknall to Brigg. Hucknall to Worksop is a route that I am very familiar and it was good yesterday to do my outward and return journey on 170204, an ex Greater Anglia unit, which was in much better condition inside than many of the EMR 170’s. I do find the 170’s quite noisy and slow at accelerating between the numerous stops on the gradients on the Robin Hood Line in comparison to 156’s and 158’s. I can’t help but think that is part of the reason why the old tried and tested timetable has not been restored. Another observation was the fact that on both the outward and return journeys I never had my ticket checked. On the return journey there were large groups of youths travelling short distances like Mansfield to Kirkby and Kirkby to Newstead and I do wonder if any of them actually had tickets. I’ve had my ticket checked very few times on the Robin Hood Line recently.
150210 was the unit on the Sheffield to Cleethorpes run yesterday. I had checked earlier that morning that it was actually running before I set out on my journey. The train was very well loaded when it arrived in Worksop with quite a number of passengers getting off at both Worksop and Retford. A handful of people boarded at both Worksop and Retford. About half a dozen people got off at Gainsborough Central and one person got on. The train was still well over half full on departure from Gainsborough Central. I found it a very pleasant ride through nice countryside. The only problem being huge amounts of shredded leaves that were being ripped off the line side vegetation and coming in through the open windows. I think yesterday was an unusually busy day for Brigg Station! There were four of us getting off the train at Brigg and about half a dozen people waiting to get on, including some people with suitcases.
The exit from the station is all a bit derelict and doesn’t give a good impression of the town. However, on walking the short distance to the town centre things really improved. It is a nice historic market town with some lovely old buildings. The High Street was busy and there was a good selection of independent shops including some good butchers, bakers etc and numerous places to eat and drink. The Thursday market was also busy with a small but good selection of stalls. It was a bit too hot to buy fresh food items to bring back with me on a journey home of almost 3 hours. The timetable allows almost 3 hours in Brigg which was just about right for a good wander around the town and market, have something to eat and drink followed by a walk along the River Ancholme. The new timetable may not be much use for days out in Cleethorpes etc but I would encourage people to use it for a trip to Brigg, especially on Market Day.
I was the only person boarding the afternoon return train and just one person got off. The train was very well loaded with through passengers. A surprisingly large number of people got off at Retford obviously making connections there but the train was still quite well loaded with passengers travelling towards Sheffield. Quite a number were waiting to get on at Worksop as I got off.
That was a much longer report than I intended to write! I must go again on a cooler day when I can bring some Lincolnshire sausages back with me for the freezer. I might have another day out soon and explore Kirton Lindsey, smaller place but looks a nice area to have a walk around for 3 hours.
