Local people making their corner of rural Britain unique
This week
Saturday 14th June Repeated Thursday 19th June
Helen Mark rides the rails in Lincolnshire, from Sleaford to Skegness,ooking at a project to improve rural railways.
Rural railway lines were facing an uncertain future. In 2004, the Department of Transportation created the Community Rail Development Scheme to look at opportunties to help rural lines.
The Poacher Line, in Lincolnshire, was one of seven pilot projects the DfT set up. Helen speaks with Chris Watson, community rail manager, who tells her a bit about the different schemes the line has adopted. One of those is the music train, where bands perform in the aisles. Helen taps her toes to the Jet Skiffle and Blues Band (pictured) who regularly enterain passengers travelling down to Wainfleet for special nights.
Helen makes a few stops along the way. First stop, the village of Heckington, where she visits the Heckington Station Railway Museum . She later climbs the six floors to the top of Heckington Windmill, the only eight-sailed working mill in Europe.
Helen then heads to Wainfleet, where she's shown around Bateman's Brewery. She speaks with Stuart Bateman, fourth generation brewery owner, who tells her why the railway line has been so important for the business.
Finally, Helen it's the end of the line and Skegness, where Helen talks with passengers about what improvements they've seen on the line.
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