Lincolnshire loop line

The Lincolnshire loop line was authorised on 26 June 1846 as part of the London and York Railway bill.{{cite web| website=The National Archives| url=http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C12424| title=Great Northern Railway Company: Records}} The then renamed Great Northern Railway purchased the Witham Navigation and all navigation rights the same year and began construction of the new line, partly beside the river, in 1847.{{subbrit|/s/southrey}} The line opened in 1848 and was for a short period the main route to the north and Scotland until the line from Peterborough to Retford was opened in August 1852. Closure came in sections: the first was {{rws|Woodhall Junction}} to {{rws|Boston}} which closed to passengers and goods on 17 June 1963.{{cite book |title=Lincolnshire Loop Line (GNR) and the River Witham |series=Locomotion Papers |first1=A. J. |last1=Ludlam |date=July 1995 |publisher=The Oakwood Press |isbn=978-0853614647}}{{page needed|date=May 2018}} Followed by the section from Boston to Spalding and finally from Lincoln to Woodhall Junction as well as to Firsby and Horncastle.

The line from {{stnlnk|Lincoln}} to {{stnlnk|Boston}} was known as the Witham loop because it followed the course of the River Witham, passing through {{stnlnk|Washingborough}}, {{stnlnk|Five Mile House}}, {{stnlnk|Bardney}}, {{stnlnk|Southrey}}, {{stnlnk|Stixwould}}, {{stnlnk|Tattershall}}, {{stnlnk|Dogdyke}}, and {{stnlnk|Langrick}}. The line from {{stnlnk|Boston}} to {{stnlnk|Spalding}} passed through three intermediate stations, {{stnlnk|Kirton}}, {{stnlnk|Algarkirk and Sutterton}}, and {{stnlnk|Surfleet}}; much of this section is now under the A16 road. The final section to {{stnlnk|Peterborough}} also had three intermediate stations, {{stnlnk|Littleworth}}, {{stnlnk|St James Deeping}}, and {{stnlnk|Peakirk}}. This section is the only part of the line that remains in operation, although most of the stations have long been closed and disused.{{page needed|date=May 2018}}

Six stations, Gainsborough Lea Road, Saxilby, Lincoln, Boston, Spalding and Peterborough North remain open, and are still part of the national network.{{page needed|date=May 2018}}

• Gainsborough – line and station open.
• Lea (opened 1 August 1849{{cite book |last=Butt |first=R.V.J. |authorlink=Raymond Butt |title=The Directory of Railway Stations |year=1995 |publisher=Patrick Stephens Ltd |location=Yeovil |isbn=1-85260-508-1 |id=R508 |page=140 }}) – line open; station closed.
• Stow Park – line open; station closed.
• Saxilby – line and station open.
• Skellingthorpe (opened 1 January 1865{{sfn|Butt|1995|p=213}}) - line open; station closed.
• Lincoln Central – line and station open.
• Washingborough – closed and disused.
• Five Mile House – closed and disused.
• Bardney – closed and disused.
• Southrey – closed and disused.
• Stixwould – closed and disused.
• Woodhall Junction – closed and disused.
• Tattershall – closed and disused.
• Dogdyke (opened September 1849{{sfn|Butt|1995|p=80}}) – closed and disused.
• Langrick – closed and disused.
• Boston (opened 2 October 1848{{sfn|Butt|1995|p=40}}) – line and station open.
• Kirton (opened 3 April 1849{{sfn|Butt|1995|p=136}}) – line and station site lost under bypass.
• Algarkirk and Sutterton – line lost under bypass, former station building still stands near A16/A17 Sutterton roundabout.
• Surfleet (opened 3 April 1849{{sfn|Butt|1995|p=224}}) – line and station site lost under bypass.
• Spalding – line and station open.
• Littleworth – line open; station site closed.
• St. James Deeping (opened 1 August 1849{{sfn|Butt|1995|p=203}}) – line open; station site closed.
• Peakirk – line open; station site closed.
• Peterborough (opened 7 August 1850{{sfn|Butt|1995|p=184}}) – line and station open.

The stations between Lincoln (inclusive) and Peterborough mostly opened on 17 October 1848, and those between Gainsborough (inclusive) and Lincoln mostly opened on 9 April 1849, except where otherwise shown.{{sfn|Butt|1995|pp=27, 97, 100, 136, 138, 143, 144, 156, 182, 206, 216, 217, 220, 224, 227, 241 }}{{cite book |last=James |first=Leslie |title=A Chronology of the Construction of Britain's Railways 1778-1855 |date=November 1983 |publisher=Ian Allan |location=Shepperton |isbn=0-7110-1277-6 |id=BE/1183 |page=52 }} Boston was opened before the other stations, since it was already in use as the southern terminus of the East Lincolnshire Railway, opened in stages between 1 March and 2 October 1848.{{sfn|James|1983|p=51}} At Peterborough, the GNR initially used the Eastern Counties Railway's station, latterly known as {{stnlnk|Peterborough East}}, which was reached via a connection near {{stnlnk|Walton|Cambridgeshire}} to the Midland Railway, whose line between Stamford and Peterborough was opened on 2 October 1846.{{sfn|James|1983|p=44}}{{sfn|Ludlam|1995|p=27}} The GNR's own Peterborough station opened with the main line between Werrington Junction and London in August 1850.{{sfn|James|1983|p=62}}

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File:Mosaic on the Water Rail Way.jpg Craft site archaeologists discovered on the South Delph]]

The line from Lincoln to Woodhall Junction now forms part of National Cycle Route 1, and is known as Water Rail Way. From Woodhall Junction to Boston, the entire line is private and has no permissive paths or access. From Boston to Spalding, the line is occupied by the A16. At Spalding, the line is still open to Peterborough.

{{Commons category |Water Rail Way|position=left}}

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{{Commons category |Lincolnshire Loop Line}}

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{{Closed stations Lincolnshire}}

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Category:Rail transport in Lincolnshire

Category:Closed railway lines in the East of England

Category:Railway lines opened in 1848

Category:Railway lines closed in 1963