Axed: Peterborough-Boston, Firsby-Grimsby

This 31-mile double-track section from Peterborough to Boston was built as part of the original East Coast Main Line to Doncaster and York, before the direct route from Werrington Junction and through to Grantham opened in 1852. It was wellengineered, and almost dead straight.

Spalding station was not listed for closure in 1970, because it was served by the thin March-Sleaford-Lincoln service on the heavy freight ‘Joint Line’ (of which the Lincoln section survives today). Local stations closed in autumn 1961, around the time that agricultural produce also ceased to be carried.

Also by this time, the market and port town of Boston (population now 70,000) was making little use of its direct commuter link to London, which might not be the case now. The only route to the capital is now the cross-country ride in a Class 156 or Class 158 DMU to Grantham, to change for an LNER service. Only the 0613 service will get you into the capital by 0830 (2hrs 17 mins).

While many mourn the loss of Boston’s direct link with its historic rival town of Spalding, I was one of its few regular users in 1969. Examining the numbers stamped on the Cheap Day Return tickets that I still have, only 43 were issued during the fortnight April 1-14 (Nos. 7515-57). On the following day, only one (No. 7558) was sold… to me.

The old trackbed has been converted into the single-carriageway A16 road, which is overloaded with heavy traffic and has a poor safety record.

Closing the 32½-mile Firsby-Grimsby section exposed the inadequacies of the area’s poor road network. However, its trains also ran near-empty most of the time - only the market towns of Louth and Alford offered any support.

The remote stations at Firsby and Willoughby were only changing places for other lines, so ceased to become relevant.

Other casualties were Burgh-le-Marsh and North Thoresby, where a curiosity was the stopping of a London train for perhaps one passenger, who could enjoy the comfort of the buffet car service. It was easier to do this than turn out a special DMU.