Neglected stations beyond the fringe…

Gainsborough Lea Road is managed by EMT. It has an hourly weekday service to Lincoln, but currently no high-speed rail services, despite Virgin Trains East Coast HSTs passing through empty stock from Leeds to Lincoln daily on weekdays at 0614 and on the return at 2131. The Saturday service passes Lea Road at 0811 and returns on its Down journey at 2033. 

FoBLL has been told that the empty coaching stock cannot stop at Lea Road because of a lack of catering staff, but VTEC refutes this, stating: “Our customer research suggests insufficient demand for a direct service from Gainsborough, using our empty coaching stock working from Leeds to Lincoln. The very early morning time at which this train passes through Gainsborough is a factor in this.” But would it really be so difficult and costly to stop an empty train that passes at reduced speed anyway? 

Of Lea Road’s 19 weekday services, 14 are operated by Northern and the rest by EMT. The station is over 100 times busier than Central, with ORR estimates of 137,394 passengers a year in 2013-14. 

Considering these figures, the station has received appalling treatment. Lea Road has had something of a bad run over the past few years - its building is partly vacant, many of its lights are smashed and not working, and its disabled access ramp is subsiding. On top of all that, the signal box burned down in 2009! Currently it has no indoor waiting facilities, station announcement equipment, or ticket buying machines available. All that remains of the gents toilet is the tiled floor, left when it was demolished. 

Compare this with a similarly managed and serviced Lincolnshire station such as Stamford (also managed by EMT), a town with a comparable population. This station has all of the above amenities, as well as timetables, an emergency information system and its station building is in regular use as a popular transport bookshop. This kind of double standard is no longer acceptable on a 21st century railway and serves only to highlight the imbalance suffered across the country where the railway has disintegrated at the margins.

EMT says there are plans to improve Lea Road station, but that they are dependent upon Network Rail improving the trackwork first.

“East Midlands Trains always aims to make sure our station environments are welcoming, and we go to great lengths to try to ensure this,” says a spokesman.

“At Gainsborough, there are factors that have slowed down our progress as we have explored a number of options for making significant improvements to the station. However, there is work needed to be done by Network Rail first on the track infrastructure. After this, we can continue to work with our partners on making improvements.”

Ah yes, the track work! The track at Lea Road has already been upgraded to allow heavier freight (as at Central), but the major investment was the resignalling of Lea Road sidings... which have been disused for many years and which are unlikely ever again to see a train! 

The rusty sidings have been disconnected from the junction point for years - but incredibly, this point has been renewed! And despite not being connected to the derelict sidings, it has full electronic signalling and point control equipment, telephones and LED signals. 

The track is new, freshly ballasted and has the appearance of a line about to welcome the introduction of high-speed passenger services. There is even a crossover and signalling, all provided at fabulous cost and all of it unused. It will never be used. It is an unbelievable waste by Network Rail of around £250,000. Meanwhile, the station rots.

Thus, considering the dilapidated state of the station, it seems preferable that EMT’s planned improvement work be undertaken sooner rather than later. Why does EMT need to wait for infrastructure changes on a line that has already had huge investment in resignalling and trackwork upgrades?

“East Midlands Trains is certain that the current station fabric and environment is not what we want. However, there are plans to address platform access, platform quality and customer information and shelter provisions.”

This is at least recognition from the incumbent TOC that things need to improve. In the meantime, Lea Road has also had the benefit of community engagement at a number of levels. 

Members of the Friends of Lea Road group are currently working on beautifying the station approach. The Friends have restored an original North Eastern Railway station approach sign, and are in the process of repairing the pergola-style roof of the Platform 1 access staircase. Flowerbeds and newly restored signage are also helping to restore some dignity to the site.

Some believe the station would reap greater rewards from a successfully established official Community Rail Partnership. Unfortunately, according to the Friends of the Brigg and Lincoln Line, Lincolnshire County Council has reacted negatively to the proposal.

The only backer was seemingly North Lincolnshire Council, with the Association of Community Rail Partnerships keen to continue with the establishment of a CRP if the backing, financial support and passenger numbers become sufficient to support one. 

This may seem a strange reaction to what has proven to be a very successful programme of community involvement elsewhere, but it must be borne in mind that a CRP is reliant on a line being remunerative to begin with, in order to be really successful. The Association of Community Rail Partnerships (ACoRP) is unlikely to cause passenger numbers to increase without a catlayst in the form of improved services. 

East Midlands Trains was not willing to comment further on how the neglect at Gainsborough Lea Road has been allowed to reach its current levels. 

• This feature was published in RAIL 777 on June 24 2015.