No government funding for Grimsby to London train

6 hours ago

Jamie WallerLocal Democracy Reporting Service

News image — The service was discontinued in 1992 but MP Sir Edward Leigh has been campaigning to bring it back

Getty Images Two trains are stopped side by side at Grimsby station platform. The train on the left has a purple and yellow livery with the number 170304 visible on the front, while the train on the right is yellow and black with the number 153316. Both trains are positioned on parallel tracks, with station buildings on the left and a platform with modern lamp posts on the right. A man is standing on the right platform waiting for the train doors to open. — The service was discontinued in 1992 but MP Sir Edward Leigh has been campaigning to bring it back

The government's decision not to back a direct train from Grimsby and Cleethorpes, via Market Rasen, to London is "deeply disappointing", an MP has said.

Gainsborough MP Sir Edward Leigh has been campaigning for many years to restore the service, which was discontinued in 1992.

In a letter to the MP, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said up to £20m of "significant upgrades" would be required at Market Rasen station to support the service, which it could not fund "at the current time".

Sir Edward told the BBC: "This is all complete nonsense and the government quite wrongly has decided it's not a priority for them. They're not prepared to support the people of Lincolnshire."

The direct service from London currently terminates in Lincoln, with passengers required to change to continue their journey.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the government said there were now more frequent trains travelling between Lincoln and North East Lincolnshire to help offset this.

Edward is wearing headphones and dressed in a collared striped shirt and a navy blazer. He is seated in BBC Radio Lincolnshire's studio. Behind him are two large screens, with purple back-lighting, and displaying abstract wave patterns. — Sir Edward Leigh told the BBC he did not believe station upgrades were necessary for the service to operate

In her letter to Sir Edward, Heidi wrote that any new service had to "represent good value for money" and, after reviewing the case for a direct Cleethorpes and Grimsby to London service, it could not go ahead.

"Assessments by LNER and Network Rail have confirmed that while trains could service Cleethorpes and Grimsby without major infrastructure changes, additional funding would be required to support the necessary service pattern changes.

"For LNER services to call at Market Rasen, significant upgrades would be needed to ensure safe, compliant operation of the station.

"These works, including a full-length raised platform and a new footbridge, are estimated to cost between £15m and £20m.

"While selective door opening was explored and tested, it would not meet safety and operational requirements at this station."

She said a fresh assessment would be made as passenger services were nationalised under Great British Railways.

Sir Edward, who has been campaigning on the issue with Cleethorpes MP Martin Vickers, said he did not accept the government's reasoning.

"This is ludicrous," he said. "There's no need to build a new footbridge, there's no need to extend the platform. There are many examples around the country of trains stopping at shorter platforms.

"This is a catchment area of a quarter of a million people and we want our train and we want the train to London, direct, which many other parts of the country have."

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