Poacher Line

The Grantham–Skegness line, promoted originally as the Poacher Line, runs for 55 miles (89 km) between Grantham and Skegness in Lincolnshire, England. Trains on this route generally operate hourly from Nottingham to Skegness via the Nottingham to Grantham Line, with additional slower stopping services at peak times. The line is operated by East Midlands Railway, using Class 170 Turbostar and Class 158 Express Sprinter diesel multiple units.

History

The East Lincolnshire Railway from Boston to Louth opened in March 1848; the section from Grantham to Boston was built by the Boston, Sleaford and Midland Counties Railway, opening in two stages in 1857 and 1859. In due course, both concerns were leased and later absorbed by the Great Northern Railway company. The section from Wainfleet to Skegness opened in August 1873, by the Wainfleet and Firsby Railway Company, later owned by the GNR in the late 1890s).

The GNR amalgamated with other railways to create the LNER at the start of 1923. When other nearby lines were still open, it became a less important route, except for its section from Boston to Firsby which was shared with the more important Peterborough to Grimsby line, via Louth, until October 1970; this resulted in the line's unusually sharp curve in the track near Firsby where it joins the Skegness line (which was originally opened as a branch from Firsby). This also had a section from here to Woodhall Spa and on to Lincoln. There had never been a direct line built from Skegness to Mablethorpe; travellers to Mablethorpe would have to go either via the branch line from Willoughby (from the south which opened in October 1886) or Louth (from the north which opened in September 1888).