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 Lincolnshire & 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 sn 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 Barton Line 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, Saxilby 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.