Boston railway station
Encyclopedia
Boston railway station serves the town of Boston
in Lincolnshire
, England
. Services are operated by East Midlands Trains
.
bound platform had classic Great Northern Railway
architecture buildings as well, now replaced with plastic shelters. The station frontage remains, albeit altered, in partially reconstructed manner, and some of the buildings have found new uses.
Boston station was once an important junction, with two lines diverging in either direction. Today, only the eastbound line to Skegness, and the westbound line towards Sleaford remain in use. There was previously a southbound line to Spalding (closed in October 1970) that joined the line to Peterborough (and formed part of the original GNR main line from London to York
), and a north-westbound line to Woodhall Junction (closed in June 1963) and thence on towards Lincoln, Horncastle, or Louth. Both surviving routes are single line, with a passing loop
at the station.
To the south of the station the access to Boston Docks via the swing bridge
and the site of the Broadfield Lane depot remain (the rail link into the docks still sees occasional use). To the north along the old Lincoln
to Boston
and Horncastle route, about 2 miles north of the town is the old Hall Hills sleeper depot.
Boston, Lincolnshire
Boston is a town and small port in Lincolnshire, on the east coast of England. It is the largest town of the wider Borough of Boston local government district and had a total population of 55,750 at the 2001 census...
in Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Services are operated by East Midlands Trains
East Midlands Trains
East Midlands Trains is a British passenger train operating company. Based in Derby, it provides train services in the East Midlands, chiefly in the counties of Lincolnshire, South Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Northamptonshire, and between the East Midlands and London...
.
History
The station has declined in importance since the 1960s. In its heyday the station employed over 50 staff and had two through tracks and cover over the platform tracks. The SkegnessSkegness
Skegness is a seaside town and civil parish in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. Located on the Lincolnshire coast of the North Sea, east of the city of Lincoln it has a total resident population of 18,910....
bound platform had classic Great Northern Railway
Great Northern Railway (Great Britain)
The Great Northern Railway was a British railway company established by the Great Northern Railway Act of 1846. On 1 January 1923 the company lost its identity as a constituent of the newly formed London and North Eastern Railway....
architecture buildings as well, now replaced with plastic shelters. The station frontage remains, albeit altered, in partially reconstructed manner, and some of the buildings have found new uses.
Boston station was once an important junction, with two lines diverging in either direction. Today, only the eastbound line to Skegness, and the westbound line towards Sleaford remain in use. There was previously a southbound line to Spalding (closed in October 1970) that joined the line to Peterborough (and formed part of the original GNR main line from London to York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
), and a north-westbound line to Woodhall Junction (closed in June 1963) and thence on towards Lincoln, Horncastle, or Louth. Both surviving routes are single line, with a passing loop
Passing loop
A passing loop is a place on a single line railway or tramway, often located at a station, where trains or trams in opposing directions can pass each other. Trains/trams in the same direction can also overtake, providing that the signalling arrangement allows it...
at the station.
To the south of the station the access to Boston Docks via the swing bridge
Swing bridge
A swing bridge is a movable bridge that has as its primary structural support a vertical locating pin and support ring, usually at or near to its centre of gravity, about which the turning span can then pivot horizontally as shown in the animated illustration to the right...
and the site of the Broadfield Lane depot remain (the rail link into the docks still sees occasional use). To the north along the old Lincoln
Lincoln, Lincolnshire
Lincoln is a cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England.The non-metropolitan district of Lincoln has a population of 85,595; the 2001 census gave the entire area of Lincoln a population of 120,779....
to Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
and Horncastle route, about 2 miles north of the town is the old Hall Hills sleeper depot.