Lincoln Central mid - late 90s

[northernrailer]

Firstly when did the 1st gen DMUs get withdrawn that operated services into and out of Lincoln Central, and in the last years of 1st gen DMU operation what classes of unit were used. I do remember seeing in some Rail magazines 2x class 122 units on a Coventry service - these must have made an uncomfortable ride for some passengers due to the lack of toilet facilities.

Also when when did the class 153 units first work services to and through Lincoln Central and what services were they used on. Im guessing class 150 and 156 units will have operated services around the Lincoln area before the class 153s.

I have seen a video of Lincoln station in around 1995 and it mainly shows that class 153 units were the main fleet of units on the Doncaster, Grimsby & Peterborough services with class 156s on the Lincoln - Nottingham / West Mids services. When i first visited Lincoln Central in 1998 it was mostly class 153 units with the occasional class 150, and usually 156s making appearances from Birmingham, Coventry and some services from Wales.

When did Central Trains reguarly start usuing class 158 units on the Lincoln and Skegness workings as i read somewhere on the internet years ago, that Class 158s were at one time very rare visitors to Lincoln and Skegness.

 

[Failed Unit]

May 1992 was the start of 153 operation in Lincoln replacing the 1st gen units and 156s (on Newark - Grimsby with chronic over-crowding). However unit shortages did mean the 101s remained until 1993 on some routes. The 153s operated on Sleaford - Lincoln in multiple prior to the timetable change.

The only regular 158 service started in 1993 when it replaced the HST.

Starting with a Cleethorpes - Newark - peterbourgh diagram (via Lincoln) this then became a Cleethorpes - Cardiff service which balanced a Cardiff - Cleethorpes service which replaced the HST in the other direction.

153s appeared on most routes from 1992, you could do Sheffield - Peterborough via Lincoln on one. They were very unpopular on when the appeared on Lincoln - Coventry and the grimsby route because of the overcrowding.

 

[phil281]

Out of interest what was the route from Lincoln to Coventry. Was it via Nuneaton, Leicester and Nottingham?

 

[Failed Unit]

Yes that was the route,

Moving of lincoln's services from Bimingham via Derby to Coventry back in the 1980s was probably one of the biggest blows to the area rail services.

 

[northernrailer]

Yeah on the video Rails around the East Midlands part 1, its shows 153369 arriving at Lincoln with a service from Coventry and the amount of people that got off the class 153 was unbelievable. A couple of weeks ago i travelled on the 15:27 Nottingham to Lincoln service and it was a Class 156 and it left full and standing.

East Midlands Trains are now in a far worse state for lack of units than Central Trains ever was, i cant really say that there arent any services out of Lincoln that are quiet anymore, when i visit Lincoln i always travel via Doncaster on the EMT service, and these services are hell of a lot busier than they ever were back in 2000. The last time i travelled on this service there were two familys travelling from Edinburgh to Skegness who changed at Doncaster, Lincoln and Sleaford.

The 1600 Lincoln - Peterborough service is herendous between Lincoln and Sleaford, the 1818 Lincoln - Newark N Gate is getting to the point of full and standing.