2012 BRANCH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING SATURDAY, 10th MARCH Rail Lincs Rail! Lincs! Number 62 February 2012 ISSN 1350-0031 ST. HUGH’S CHURCH HALL, MONKS ROAD, LINCOLN & South Humberside Branch of the LINCOLNSHIRE Railway Development Society – PLEASE NOTE THE NEW VENUE – N e w s l e t t e r continued from previous page Letter from the Chairman the line of live now pay later. Essentially I am going to start my item this time by reduce the number of services they we need our politicians to see that writing about buses. Some members subsidise. The outcome of all this will be success can only work if the whole would probably say to me “what are you that it will be even more difficult to use country benefits and not those with doing writing about buses? Railfuture is a public transport. deepest pockets. This is a situation which rail campaigning organisation.” My reply For as long as I have been a Railfuture seems to be happening in Scotland, now would be that we are, but many members member we have been campaigning, with that it has its own independent can only travel by train if they have a bus some success, for integrated transport parliament. If I am not mistaken, service to get them to and from the and a seamless transfer between bus Scotland seems to have benefited from a station. Indeed early results from the and rail. There is now a real danger that gradually improving transport system as member survey in the last Railwatch transport interchanges, such as is well as other facilities, such as better old show that as many as 40% of you travel to planned for Lincoln station, will be little people’s homes. This may be due to your station by bus. use to rail travellers simply because there greater independence for individual For many years bus services to rural will be no buses to take us home. politicians. As our present government villages have been sparse, if there were Whilst I was writing my Chairman’s has seen its party support collapse in any at all. Towns have had some sort of report for the branch AGM, I looked Scotland, I think that our politicians have A plywood replica of the original daytime service even if they finished in through the minutes of branch meetings much to learn from what is happening fireplace in the restored waiting room at the early evening and Lincoln had a good from the 1980s to find out when Peter north of the border. The re-opening of Market Rasen station. service from early morning to late Honniball started to distribute Rail Tyne- more railway stations as well as the Find out more in Rail Lincs 63 ! evening, until cuts to subsidised services Trent. A point that quickly stood out to me manning of ticket offices would not only last spring saw Lincoln lose many evening

ANSWER TO CONUNDRUM ON PAGE 4 was the frequency that currently active

give meaningful employment to more Mowbray. services, thus forcing some members to members appeared in the minutes of

people but would also help to take traffic Melton via 22:50 Nottingham arrive use their car to go to the station just meetings from a quarter of a century ago.

off our congested and dangerous roads 21:00, Spalding Depart Lincoln. via 08:59 because there was no longer a bus home. In the 1986 and 1987 minutes, I counted and reduce the need for road repairs and Spalding arrive 06:53, Nottingham Depart This spring the bus industry is facing 24 members mentioned who are still more car parking. Tom Rookes, Lincoln multiple funding cuts which are sure to active enough now for me to have had Rail Lincs 63 will be published in June. mean even more service cuts. The Bus some contact with them during the last 3 APOLOGY Please let the Editor have copy by 12 May. Service Operators’ Grant is being cut by months. As I qualify for my Senior In recent issues of Rail Lincs, the list of The views and comments expressed in Rail Lincs 20%, funding for the concessionary travel Railcard, this highlights a trend I have Branch Committee members has are not necessarily those of the Railway scheme is being cut and County Councils been noticing more and more recently– Development Society. inadvertently shown Paul Jowett as being will have to cut transport budgets to meet the average age of our active volunteers Member of North Kesteven District Railfuture is the campaigning name for the reduced government funding. Some is increasing. Railway Development Society. (NKDC) Rail Focus Group. This is currently profitable services will become Over at least the last five years our net incorrect, as Paul represents the Branch The Railway Development Society Limited is a (not loss making and Councils will have to membership has declined. It is inevitable for profit) Company Limited by Guarantee. continued on page 3 on NKDC’s Partnership Group which Registered in England & Wales No. 5011634. covers transport, industry, land usage, Registered Office: 24 Chedworth Place, 2012 BRANCH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING housing etc. There is no specific rail Tattingstone, Suffolk IP9 2ND I side group. Apologies for any confusion this SATURDAY, 10th MARCH Deta li s n may have caused. (PM) www.railfuture.org.uk ST. HUGH’S CHURCH HALL, MONKS ROAD, LINCOLN Refer to page 2 for contact details of branch officers mentioned in Rail Lincs. – PLEASE NOTE THE NEW VENUE – Cottesmore Press - Fast Track Printing - Stuart Street, Grantham NG31 9AF - 01476 405959 Railfuture Lincolnshire Branch Committee 2011 to 2012 and is, to my knowledge, the only attempt consciousness, the us and them of by a British government to produce a workers and management. Perhaps the Alphabetical list of members: Wallace Lee comprehensive transport policy. The Act more radical idea of worker shareholders 13 Thirlmere Close, North Hykeham, provided for five Executives covering could have saved such firms as Robey Anthony Berridge Lincoln LN6 8ES Docks and Inland Waterways, Hotels, and Co. from bankruptcy but there was, Friends of the 01522 686592 London Transport, Railway and Road and perhaps still is, an attitude from the Representative [email protected] Transport. Air transport was excluded. top that the lower orders are ignorant and 47 Eastfield Road, Barton on Humber DN18 6AW 01724 721397 During the 1950s the road haulage incapable. History tells us that people of Colin Lingard - Branch Treasurer sector was privatised and on 1st January all types are self-centred and indulgent 12 Home Close, Bracebridge Heath, Chris Brown Lincoln LN4 2LP 01522 526620 1955 separate managements were set whereas responsibility helps to open National International Committee Member [email protected] up for road haulage, hotels, docks, and their eyes and expand their minds as well 24a Lannimore Close, Lincoln LN5 8SF inland waterways. The railways were as improving production. 01522 544913 07766496466 Phil Mason - Rail Lincs Editor reorganised on the basis of six Area Although much of the welfare state and [email protected] Branch Vice-Chairman Railway Boards. other state industry has been destroyed, 10 Cottesmore Close, Grantham NG31 9JL Because of a failure to develop an the basic outline is still valid. Of course we Ralph Coulson 01476 407569 (home) 01476 405959 (bus.) 24 Willingham Road, Market Rasen LN8 3DR [email protected] integrated transport system the now have to deal with international trade 01673 842177 07792947498 government passed a bill on 1st January in a way that was unknown 65 years ago Geoffrey Meanwell 1963 replacing the BTC with five and people’s expectations are higher. Andrew Court 12 Kirkby Lane, Woodhall Spa LN10 6SA successor bodies: The British Railways However, I think it is a modern myth to Rock Cottage, 91 High Street, 01526 352389 Board, The British Transport Docks believe that individual progress can be Lincoln LN1 2HA 01522 702651 Board, The British Waterways Board, The sustained while the rest of society is Don Peacock - Hon Branch Secretary Alan Gouldthorpe London Transport Board, and The ignored. Clearly the individual choice for National Passenger Committee Member Transport Holding Company. What I transport has now created dangerously Barton–Cleethorpes Community Rail 1 Queens Road, Barnetby le Wold, Partnership Representative N Lincs DN38 6JH 01652 688549 believe should have happened is that the congested roads, polluting vehicles, 48 Overton Court, Barton on Humber, [email protected] original structures ought to have been leading to noisy streets, damaged N Lincs DN18 5QH 07412060971 built on by future governments, whereas houses, and rising cases of asthma. [email protected] Reg Poole – Corresponding Member party infighting and vested interests Ultimately it has to be cheaper and safer 52 Hebden Moor Way, North Hykeham, Lincoln seem to have taken over. A for the general population to have more David Harby - Branch Chairman, LN6 9QW 01522 883988 comprehensive structure was gradually public transport so that those who need Exhibition Screen Officer, [email protected] National Treasurer, Media Spokesman chipped away because of the loss of to drive on our roads can do so in safety. National Freight Committee Member Bill Robins central vision, just as is now happening The question now is whether or not we 6 Carral Close, Brant Road, Lincoln LN5 9BD Hamilton Farm Cottage, Walesby Road, with the welfare state. Other than in would be able to get a government to 01522 874513 [email protected] Market Raen LN8 3EY London, the result of this fragmentation implement such policies even if they are [email protected] has been higher costs and increased seen as practical. Britain has moved from Brian Hastings - Emeritus Chairman bureaucracy. When I got the vote in 1963 a privilege born system to a monetarist Media Spokesman (North) Tom Rookes - Minutes Secretary I wanted to know what plans there were to one like the USA. Britain’s last grandee Rail Lincs Northern Correspondent 77 Ruskin Avenue, St. Giles, Lincoln LN2 4DE 312 Wharf Road, Ealand, Scunthorpe, 01522 540513 build new roads and railways, but the prime minister, Sir Alec Douglas Home, N Lincs DN17 4JW 01724 710528 conversation never seemed to rise once said it would be a mistake for us to [email protected] Carolyn Sharp beyond fundraising and attacks on the be ruled by actor politicians by which I 33 Firbeck Ave., Skegness, Lincs PE25 3LA opposition. The root of this problem suspect he meant by analogy the USA, Paul Jowett - Corresponding Member, 01754 766581 seems to have been cultural. When I but this is the way we have become along Rail Lincs Southern Correspondent [email protected] began employment at Robey and with the belief in the importance of Branch Representative on North Kesteven Company Boiler Works in 1958, it was image, a situation encouraged by our District Council’s Partnership Group some time before I got to know who ran it, culture of television and visually 8 Deepdale Drive, Leasingham, Sleaford, Lincs NG34 8LR SELTA Representative Position vacant because the management were not orientated pop singers. Our image based usually seen in the works. Rather there culture has also encouraged us to believe was a persistence of small minded class in the need to follow the Americans along continued overleaf Rail Lincs 62 - 2 Rail Lincs 62 - 11 step in making better use of public ‘Brave New World with Stephen Hawking’, Continued from page 1 earlier comments, why not bring a friend transport. Such ideas need to be one of which featured the purpose built that we will lose members due to age and with you. Prospective members can expanded rather than reduced. An Masdar City near Abu Dhabi where the infirmity and lose others who move away attend the morning session but cannot expansion of the Oyster Card system energy relies on renewable sources and without telling us their new address. speak or vote. Don’t forget we have a new outside the London area could help to the private car has been replaced by Given our ageing membership, the rate of venue this year. bring down the price of public transport. electric railways. Although this is in its loss is not exceptional. Where we are At the public meeting after our AGM we Many people in Lincoln use cars in the early stages as the city is still being built, I falling down is in the recruitment of new welcome back an old friend of the branch, evening because buses, in most areas, think it shows governments across the members. We are simply not recruiting Pete Myers – Head of Service Quality are non-existent. Even when there was an world the value of a comprehensively enough to replace those we lose and not from , who will combine an evening service it was poor. A lowering of planned self sustaining environment. enough of those we do recruit are like the update of Northern with customer service bus and rail fares in the daytime could While it may be argued that such enthusiastic 30 – 50 years olds who were news and the latest position we are in re help to break the car habit at least in part schemes are pie in the sky for the rest of around when I became an active the franchise as we fast move towards its’ and reduce the demand on car parking the world this is mainly due to a lack of Lincolnshire branch member in 1986. close. David Berman, the member of our spaces. It has always been known that vision and willpower on the part of An analysis of our new member data national board of directors who oversees higher bus fares deter customers. Buses western governments. As I see it, western shows that one-to-one recruitment is a national responses to consultations and travelling into outer London often run a society has created a problem in its proven successful method. If Railfuture is is a key member of our Information, comprehensive service up to midnight. domination by the expertise of to continue to prosper and have enough Publishing and Communications Group There are other evening services in specialisation. Of course we do need active volunteers an exceptional effort is will be telling us about Railfuture activity London which are poorly patronised but people who are experts in special areas, required of existing members to recruit at national level. We hope to have a third because they cover outlying districts they but any attempt to bring these fields new, and preferably younger, members. speaker but at the time of writing I am still fulfill a social need. Although it can be together into a whole breaks down when Finally I come to our AGM. This is your awaiting confirmation that they are able argued that because of commuting, we find that such people are prone to chance to have your say. Please make an to come. London is an exception, there is create their own individual complex effort to attend and, to emphasise my David Harby nowadays also much more commuting worlds, whereas what is needed are from outside of London because more simplified co-ordinated schemes. Additional stop for Graylees’ commuters people now travel long distances and do Despite its severely limited resources, After much campaigning (see Rail Lincs NKDC’s free paper which reaches every shift work. the 1945 Labour government created a 61), the re-introduced stop of the first household including Graylees. Although it Two television programmes called blueprint for a modern Britain, not so morning train at 06:39 to Grantham is is a very large development, Greylees is ‘India on Four Wheels’ showed how much because of nationalisation but now in place. This should aid those devoid of any shops, Post Office or any western India is rapidly becoming because it was designed for a national commuters from Graylees village (on the community facilities; not even a notice industrialised, particularly in regard to economy. This was never the red socialist former hospital site) next to Rauceby board. However, details of train services car ownership. The downside of this is government it is sometimes claimed to station, who work in London and currently have been included on a “Station Page” that there is a huge rise in accidents and have been, although some of its noisy drive to Grantham. on the Graylees Community website. pollution both personal in the form of supporters certainly fall into this Following closure of the hospital some Despite the current poor train service asthma and environmentally in the form category. The 1944 Education Act was years ago, the train service at Rauceby at Rauceby (six departures), a new state- of acid rain. This is affecting ancient primarily the work of leading was curtailed to basic franchise of-the-art real-time help point (part of buildings like the Taj Mahal and leading to Conservative politician R A Butler; requirement. The addition of this morning EMTs’ franchise agreement) has been the dispossession of land from peasants William Beveridge, the main architect of stop is the first step in North Kesteven installed at the station. and destruction of environmentally the welfare state, was a Liberal peer; and District Council’s (NKDC) aim to see The NKDC Partnership Group has been protected areas such as the Sunderbans. Prime Minister Clement Attlee was Greylees village, which has no public asked to look again at the provision of a This situation shows how, if proof be described by his wife as: “never really a transport except for Sleaford “Call short direct pathway from Greylees to needed, societies across the world are socialist, well not a rabid one.” Mrs Connect” demand responsive mini Rauceby station. Some four years ago, destroying themselves and their Thatcher described herself as an admirer buses, to be better served. the original plan for a pathway was environment. of Clement Attlee: “a serious man and a As part of Railfuture Lincolnshire’s link dropped. Other transport issues Stephen Hawking has been running an patriot-- all substance and no show.” with the NKDC Partnership Group, details discussed by the Partnership included interesting series of programmes about The British Transport Commission of the train service at Rauceby have been the decline of rural buses and lack of modern technology on Channel 4 called came into operation on 1st January 1948 published in the Sleaford Standard and connections with rail. (PBJ)

Rail Lincs 62 - 10 Rail Lincs 62 - 3 Friends of the Barton Line Railway Rambles Editor’s Mail seems likely that a large slice is also ! Official footfall figures from Network Railfuture member Stuart Parker is also ?taken by governments in order to offset Rail for 2009-2010 compared to those the Area Secretary of the Lincolnshire the national debt. An important side to WHY PUBLIC TRANSPORT NEEDS A this is that when an industry goes private for 2008-2009, showed a small Ramblers. He is also the walks co- CENTRAL VISION reduction for each station along the ordinator for the Penistone Line the public is no longer entitled to know Barton Line except Stallingborough and Partnership as featured on BBC N’s In Rail Lincs 61, Tim Mickleburgh details, so in theory the government is Healing. ‘Countryfile’ with Julia Bradbury last compares the low usage of Grimsby Town able to disclaim responsibility and to have ! Since the introduction of the earlier January. Station with Grantham and Lincoln and access to private capital. Government train times in May, there appeared to be a They hold regular walks, at least twice refers to the lack of a member from North sell offs and a liberal attitude towards tendency for trains to arrive a few minutes a month, mostly between stations on the East Lincolnshire on the branch manufacturing have, I believe, had an late at Barton, but managing to depart line between Sheffield, Barnsley and committee. These two points are surely impact, sometimes indirectly, on places again on time. Huddersfield, but occasionally on the related to the poor service Grimsby such as Grimsby, although decline in ! , as part of their forward Lincoln, Retford, Sheffield line and also receives compared to Lincoln and steel and other heavy industries has planning, intend to upgrade the signalling on the Saturdays-only Brigg Line service. Grantham. There have been questions affected Scunthorpe and Lincoln. on the Barton Branch in 2016. The work These walks are accessible from raised at our Annual General Meetings Governments in Britain have put the would also include the lines to Lincoln Central, Saxilby and about the Grimsby service from Lincoln banking industry at their centre of Immingham, Cleethorpes, Gainsborough Gainsborough Lea Road and often mean and also at committee meetings, thinking. They seem to have little ability to and Lincoln with the control centre being catching the 07.00 NORTHERN departure because it affects members who use grasp the social implications of high located in York. The modernisation of the from Lincoln in order to connect at stations along the line such as Market unemployment and poor public transport railway, albeit at the sacrifice of the line’s Sheffield with onward 08.36 to Rasen. At our last AGM, in regard to a facilities. historic operating environment, is Huddersfield. It’s free parking at Saxilby question about fewer trains from Lincoln Although many jobs are now welcome if it meant an improved service station. to Grimsby, David Horne from East automated, there are lots of others which and reduced costs. The upgrade would All are welcome to take part so call Midlands Trains, said that the route was do not get done because there is not the involve the decommissioning of the Stuart on 01522-534655 for a free copy making a loss. The difficulty we face is money to pay people. However, manned signal boxes and crossings. It of the programme. that rail companies are commercial unemployed people still have to live, so was desirable to have the signal boxes Website is: www.southpenninesraiI.co.uk organisations which prefer to increase cutting jobs is to a large extent self services where they make the most profit. defeating. listed, provided that they could be SATURDAY 10 MARCH 2012 maintained in good condition, but they Inevitably rural areas such as What is needed is for our authorities to BY TRAIN ALONG THE BARTON LINE! Lincolnshire suffer because they are not take a wider view of the economy rather would probably be too close to the track You are invited to take a train along the to let to third parties. (AASB) and never have been highly profitable. than only see areas of profitability. There Barton Line for a 9 mile linear walk in The decline of manufacturing is also a is a lack of understanding for other areas northern Lincolnshire on public footpaths disincentive because freight is where the of society such as the waste caused by A timetable conundrum and lanes from Goxhill via East Halton, money is. Beeching, and after, has only unemployment which can lead to crime Here’s a question for timetable ‘anoraks’ Killingholme to Habrough. Return made things worse because lines have and illness and the pollution and from Peter Honniball: connections to Cleethorpes, Grimsby and been taken up and property sold off. accidents caused by the lack of good How can you travel from Nottingham to Lincoln at Habrough. Start: HABROUGH Poor services are naturally followed by public transport. Grimsby has apparently Spalding on one train and back on station. (or GOXHILL station at 9.35am) the vexed question of fares. People rightly got one of the worst levels of another (ie no changes) without passing Trains depart: Cleethorpes 09.00, complain about high rail fares which are unemployment in the country. Settle– over the same railway line twice? Grimsby Town 09.08 arriving Goxhill at not value for money. Having sold off most Carlisle proved that people will use a Answer on back page. 09.35. OR depart Lincoln Central 08.12, Market Rasen 08.30, Barnetby 08.52 to of Britain’s manufacturing industry, good service when one is available. BRANCH AGM arrive Habrough at 09.00 then change particularly that which was state owned, Running trains at inconvenient times and SATURDAY, 10 MARCH trains for the 09.24 departure to Goxhill. governments now have to find other ways finding that people do not use them only ST. HUGH’S CHURCH HALL, OR meet at Habrough station car park at to raise capital. One of these is to use proves that those responsible for 9.00am. private finance contracts in areas such as transport are out of touch with the public. MONKS ROAD, LINCOLN. Leader: Stuart Parker, Ramblers’ mobile phones and transport. Although The involvement of local councils in Lincolnshire Area, tel: 01522 534655 some of the cost of high fares can be implementing bus subsidies for those NOTE THE NEW VENUE ! www.lincswolds.org.uk attributed to shareholder dealing; it retired or disabled has been a welcome

Rail Lincs 62 - 4 Rail Lincs 62 - 9 January Fare Increases Level Crossing News Call for action on metal thefts I had intended to produce a table comparing fare increases imposed in January 2012. GOSBERTON You cannot have failed to see media However, the type of fares available are so complex I have settled for tabulating the Member, Peter Honniball, reports he reports about the staggering increase in cheapest return fare available to each destination without a Railcard. Gaps are where I observed workmen on 17 January at the number of metal thefts in the last failed to record the fare before increase. Gosberton Level Crossing. He was told year. These heartless crimes have As can be seen the EMT increases from our branch area are mainly around the 5.9% they were building a signal box and there involved plaques from war memorials average. However, the picture for other TOCs and areas is worse with the Anytime Day will be automatic barriers. (PH) and gravestones and the roofs from Return from Lincoln to Sheffield (set by Northern Rail) increasing by 8.5%. This fare is GREYLEES churches, as well as crimes which have a close to the West Yorkshire average of around 8% as reported in February Modern huge impact on our everyday life, ranging The new full barrier level crossing at Railways. from theft of Network Rail cables, which Greylees, where the Sleaford – Grantham Just over the border at Newark the situation is much worse. The increases I have cause massive disruption to the travelling line crosses the A153 road, to the west of quoted are the largest increase to each destination. As in previous years the justification public, to BT cables which have caused Sleaford, is now operational. Fully for these eye watering increases is to fund rail investment. The only planned the loss of emergency care lines to illuminated, the crossing is a very modern improvement I can think of is the remodelling of , unless some of the sheltered housing schemes and the design. Operated from nearby Rauceby increase is to pay for the £30 million that has already been spent on the Intercity Express interruption of communications systems Station signal box, the delay to road Programme. A programme that recent reports in the railway press suggest that no bank to the emergency services. traffic, when closed, is not as long as is prepared to fund! (DH) Many of these crimes would stop originally intimated. At the time of writing, overnight if there was no ready market for there is a staff presence at the crossing in these ill-gotten gains. Ninety per cent of contact with the signal box, due to transactions in scrap metal yards are by problems with the CCTV monitoring cash. system. (PBJ) Record keeping is non-existent and no questions are asked regarding source of Charter Train the scrap. Existing legislation is very weak and goes back to the Scrap Metal Dealers from Skegness Act of 1964. Maximum fines are very low. The next charter train from Skegness and Various organisations, are urging the stations: Wainfleet, Boston, government to move towards a cashless Heckington, Sleaford, Bottesford and business model for scrap metal dealers. Nottingham, organised by Railtourer of There will be exceptions to every model, Hull, will be on Wednesday 16 May to but legislation which gives robust powers Manchester or Blackpool. Full details of to police and local authorities, Standard or First Class with refreshment accompanied by powers of temporary facilities, or the Premier Dining section closure given to Police Superintendents are available from local agent and branch and powers of closure and confiscation of committee member, Carolyn Sharp. (See assets given to magistrates, will give page 2 for contact details). legitimacy to genuine businesses and put the ‘cowboys’ out of business. Gainsborough for a Coffee If you feel strongly about this issue, please sign an online petition A small refreshment room has opened up at:http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitio in the old station building at ns/406 (AG) Gainsborough Lea Road station, at the bottom of the slope up to the platform. It As we go to press, the Home Secretary has limited opening hours. So if departing has announced measures to make stealing or arriving there please support it! metal less attractive; including a ban on (SWP) cash payments and a rise in fines. (Ed)

Rail Lincs 62 - 8 Rail Lincs 62 - 5 Local Sustainable Transport Fund Adopters’ Meet This DfT Fund aims to support local (EMT and the Mng authorities in delivering local solutions to Lincolnshire Community Rail Officer, AG help deliver economic growth in a low Jayne Wingad, hosted the second local to the carbon way. The Local Sustainable Lincolnshire adopters’ meeting at County ti Transport Fund (LSTF) will provide Hall, Lincoln. Get £560million of funding nationally Despite the 18:00 starting time, there between 2011/12 and 2014/15. was a reasonable attendance. The Lincolnshire County Council are planning meeting was chaired by Michelle Portas, St Hugh's Church Hall a bid for funds from the second round of Station Manager at Lincoln, who gave an LTSF allocation. EMT presentation. The useful meeting is on Monks Road At an early stage of the bid preparation, enabled an interchange of ideas, about 25 yards from your chairman, along with the Campaign concerns and views to be passed the junction with for Better Transport Regional Organiser, between other adopters and EMT. had an exploratory meeting with the Adopters from: Market Rasen (2), Broadgate. About 5 consultant who was preparing the bid on Newark Castle (1), Metheringham (1), minutes walk from behalf of LCC. As the bid has developed Ruskington /Rauceby (1), Collingham (1) Lincoln station. From and the area covered was narrowed down and two possible interested people from the station cross over the Railfuture input has been maintained Boston attended. Lincolnshire Co-op had with at least 4 committee members and 1 a representative in Stuart Parker, towards the bus other member taking part in discussions. Ramblers’ Association organiser and station and walk In broad terms the bid covers the area Railfuture member. (PBJ) along Sincil Street in and around Hykeham including Teal until your reach the Park and Doddington Road. Details have to be finalised but we anticipate it will Joint Line Bridges river. Turn right and include some improvements to the walk to Broadgate. As part of the upgrading of the Joint Line Hykeham station area and better public to enable the line’s loading gauge to Turn left and walk transport serving the station. As this is accommodate 9ft 6in hi-cube containers, uphill until you reach written, discussions are taking place as eighteen three-arch brick overbridges to the role Railfuture could play in the the pedestrian lights between Werrington and Bessacarr delivery of the bid. (DH) by the Duke of Junction, Doncaster, are to be rebuilt. The work is expected to take two years. Wellington. Cross over Land for Rail Freight? The route used to be a busy freight and carry on walking When built, the Lincoln Eastern Bypass artery, but regular freight was lost in the uphill to Monks Road. will cross the Joint Line within North 1980s. However, the upgrade will allow The Church Hall is Kesteven District Council (NKDC) freight traffic to be moved from the largely territory. Should Railfuture be asking for double-track ‘Towns Line’ section of the about 25 yards along land to be reserved at the intersection (ECML) through on your left. area for future use as a rail freight facility Grantham, Newark and Retford, which, connected into the Joint Line freight with the increase in passenger traffic, is network for the Lincoln area? seen as a particular bottleneck on the If land is not reserved and used for ECML route. (PM) other purposes, certainly in the NKDC Sat Nav users please note that the post code refers to the St. Hugh’s Vicarage area such an opportunity will be lost. which is situated on Broad Gate, whereas the church hall is on Monks Road. Be Please let the Branch committee know aware that there is NO RIGHT TURN from Broad Gate into Monks Road. your views. (PBJ)

Rail Lincs 62 - 6 Rail Lincs 62 - 7 Not mentioned in the survey is the fact that the Branch has only 3 lady members in RAILWAY DEVELOPMENT SOCIETY their own right (5 more as family members) so there is another area we need to address. Once again, any ideas from the members to move this forward? A Voice for Rail Users Dr Don Peacock, Hon Secretary 1 Queens Road, Barnetby le Wold DN38 6JH Lincolnshire Branch Tel: 01652 688549

BRANCH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Dear Member, The Annual General Meeting of the branch will take place on Saturday, 10 March 2012 at the St. Hugh’s Church Hall, Monks Road, Lincoln. The timetable this year is as follows: 10:30 Assemble – Coffee and tea available 11:00 AGM (Agenda below) 12:00 Lunch break 13:00 Open Session (open to the public) Guest speakers: Peter Myers, Head of Service Quality, Northern Rail Ltd Dr David Berman, Railfuture Director

16:30 Meeting closes

AGM AGENDA 1. Apologies 2. Minutes of 2011 meeting * 3. Matters arising All Officers will be returned 4. Chairman’s Report by David Harby unopposed. All current 5. Hon. Secretary’s Report by Dr Don Peacock Committee members have 6. Financial Report by Colin Lingard indicated their willingness to 7. Election of Officers: * continue. If any other member a) Chairman b) Vice Chairman wishes to serve on the c) Hon Secretary Committee, please contact d) Hon Treasurer the Hon Secretary before e) other committee members commencement of the AGM. 8. Any other urgent business (notice of items appreciated by Hon Secretary before meeting commences or telephone 01652 688549 Yours sincerely, Don Peacock, Hon Secretary

See page 7 for directions to the venue Chairman’s Report to be presented at the 2012 AGM started in 1986 Peter has now retired from this task. Thank you Peter for your long Looking back over the local rail happenings in 2011 it has again been a year of and reliable service. mixed fortunes. A new service introduced and improvements to some others, but Looking forward, there are plenty of issues for the branch to be concerned with deadlock remains over the vexed question of the Lincoln High Street level in 2012. DfT are planning the next ECML franchise and there is a lot of lobbying crossing. going on to get better Lincoln to Kings Cross services included in the franchise. The long awaited direct Lincoln to Kings Cross service finally arrived in May, There is a strong case for more improvements to the Lincoln to Nottingham albeit with an annoying wait at Newark Northgate due to pathing problems. The service but even if funding were to be found we would still need an extra DMU. It East Midlands Trains connecting service from Lincoln to Newark Northgate was if has taken since the beginning of the EMT franchise, and a lot of dedicated anything worse than before, but EMT did manage to find the resources to make campaigning, to extract four extra units out of DfT to reduce overcrowding on some improvements from December. Also from December a minor retiming of Liverpool to Norwich, so don't hold your breath! the 20:28 Peterborough to Spalding service means that it now makes a valid Rumours are circulating about possible changes to the Northern and TPE connection with the 20:22 FCC arrival from Kings Cross. A very useful train for franchises when they expire. Will they be merged or will they be split differently Spalding commuters who take advantage of the cheaper FCC only tickets to to now? Only time will tell. Kings Cross. The Lindongate is expected to get planning approval soon. With the inclusion The McNulty Value for Money study has left us with as many questions as of a new bus station in the scheme this is a most welcome development for answers. There is no doubt that the railway is too expensive. However instead of integrated transport in the Lincoln area. proposing a radical restructuring, all the study has proposed is some tinkering at To end this report I think I can sum up by saying we have had a busy year where the edges. The government now even seems to be ducking out of this and we have made some good progress but there is much more to do in 2012. watering down the projected White Paper into a command paper. David Harby, Hon Chairman After we were expecting a fare increase of RPI+3% the government made a last minute change of mind and reduced the increase to RPI+1%. Still too high, which Hon Secretary’s Report to be presented at the 2012 AGM is a point I made in my recent Lincolnshire Echo column, but we are still left with As the Chairman has already said the past year has once again been a busy one the awkward question of ‘how are the railways going to be funded?’ With McNulty for the Committee. My thanks to them for all their hard work. ducking out of radically restructuring the rail industry where is the funding going Since the last AGM there has been some changes in the Committee personnel to come from if it is not from the fare box? with Bill Robin and Wallace Lee being co-opted on to the Committee. Alan The suggestion in the McNulty study that some ticket offices should be closed Waddington (our Membership Secretary) resigned for health and voluntary attracted a lot of media attention but as is often the case the media only covered work load reasons. Bill has not sought re-election due to a move from Market half the story. The study floated the idea of closing ticket offices but it also posed Rasen. My thanks to the leavers for their positive contribution to the work of the the question whether passengers would get a better service if ticket office staff Committee. were redeployed elsewhere on the station. Members will no doubt be pleased to learn that Brian Hastings, our Emeritus I have been interviewed by TV, radio and printed media on a number of topics: Chairman, has come through a spell of health problems and is now attending our Lincoln to Kings Cross trains; overcrowding; McNulty study; metal theft; the Local Committee meetings again. Sustainable Transport Fund bid; HS2 and fares come to mind. From the analysis of the membership by Alan Waddington, it is clear that we are The branch again took our display stand to the Grantham Rail Show in poorly represented in the south of the county with only 8 members in the September and we took part in a number of stakeholder meetings. In a Bourne/Boston/Grantham/Skegness/Spalding area. This is compared with 28 in continuation of my policy as Chairman of trying to involve committee members the central area (of which 14 are in Lincoln) and 16 in the northern area (Barton on in as many activities as possible, Don Peacock, Paul Jowett, Alan Gouldthorpe and Humber contribute 5 to this number and Grimsby/Cleethorpes 4). Chris Brown all attended meetings or events on behalf of the branch in addition The Branch has produced a specific Lincolnshire insert for the RDS National to myself. membership recruitment leaflet which we will be distributing. Any ides for Whilst on the topic of the branch committee I would like to add a few words of distribution, especially in the aforementioned southern area, would be welcome. thanks to my Vice Chairman, Phil Mason, who edits Rail Lincs so efficiently, Don Would it be possible for these to be included in say local Neighbourhood Watch Peacock as branch secretary, Colin Lingard for looking after our finances and news letters or parish news letters? Tom Rookes for another year as minutes secretary. No longer on the committee The Committee does have one Committee member from the southern area but but still making a valuable contribution by sending out Rail Lincs has been Peter it would be helpful to have more. Honniball. After carrying it out since our first local newsletter Rail Tyne-Trent continued overleaf