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Boston railway station

Coordinates: 52°58′41″N 0°01′52″W / 52.978°N 0.031°W / 52.978; -0.031
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Boston
National Rail
General information
LocationBoston, Boston
England
Coordinates52°58′41″N 0°01′52″W / 52.978°N 0.031°W / 52.978; -0.031
Grid referenceTF323441
Managed byEast Midlands Railway
Platforms2
Other information
Station codeBSN
ClassificationDfT category E
History
Opened17 October 1848[1]
Passengers
2019/20Decrease 0.211 million
2020/21Decrease 59,220
2021/22Increase 0.171 million
2022/23Increase 0.200 million
2023/24Increase 0.225 million
Notes
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

Boston railway station serves the town of Boston in Lincolnshire, England. It is a stop on the Poacher Line, which connects Grantham with Skegness. The station is owned by Network Rail and managed by East Midlands Railway, who provide all rail services.

History

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View northward, towards Firsby and Grimsby in 1964
View southward, towards Sleaford in 1964

The station opened on 17 October 1848, with the opening of the Great Northern Railway's East Lincolnshire Line.[1]

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 Skegness-bound platform had classic Great Northern Railway architecture buildings, which have since been replaced with plastic shelters. The station frontage remains, albeit altered in a 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, which closed in October 1970, that joined the line to Peterborough and formed part of the original GNR main line from London King's Cross to York); in addition, there was a north-westbound line to Woodhall Junction (closed in June 1963) and thence on towards Lincoln Central, 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.

Services

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All services at Boston are operated by East Midlands Railway. The station is served by an hourly service westbound to Nottingham, via Grantham, and eastbound to Skegness.[2]

Preceding station National Rail National Rail Following station
Heckington   East Midlands Railway
  Wainfleet
Hubberts Bridge
Limited Service
    Thorpe Culvert
Limited Service
  Historical railways  
Great Northern RailwayTerminus
Disused railways
Great Northern Railway

References

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  1. ^ a b "Opening of the Great Northern Railway". Northampton Mercury. England. 21 October 1848. Retrieved 28 June 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  2. ^ "Timetables". East Midlands Railway. 2 June 2024. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
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