1: 2025 Lincolnshire Mayoral election
Posted by TomIrvin on 29/04/25 14:54

FBL have submitted the belowing communication to the six candidates standing for the position of Greater Lincolnshire mayor:

Dear ...,
 
By way of introduction, I am Tom Irvin, chair of the Friends of the Barton Line, the rail user group representing transport users on the railway line between Cleethorpes and Barton on Humber. I am writing to ask about your public transport policies and ambitions should you become Mayor. I would also like to ask you about a few points that have affected public transport users in this part of greater Lincolnshire.
 
In December 2024 the 07:08 train from Barton to Cleethorpes was withdrawn, making it impossible for regular commuters in Barton, New Holland and Goxhill to reach work in Grimsby Town centre and the Grimsby Docks area before 08:00. If you are elected, will you look to have services from Barton arriving in Grimsby at convenient times for people to start work at both 08:00 and 09:00, as was the case before the COVID pandemic?
 
At the start of the East Midlands Railway franchise, the previous government announced year round Sunday Barton Line services and hourly Grimsby - Lincoln services. These promises have never been fulfilled. If elected, will you seek to deliver these service improvements?
 
Barton Line trains, in common with other rail services across Lincolnshire, are currently plagued with reliability issues due to failing trains and East Midlands Railway not renewing a rest day working agreement with ASLEF. On the Barton Line though, when these issues occur, we feel the effect more than elsewhere due to the way our line is operated. In cases where a driver or guard is unavailable, the Barton Line is often left with a six hour gap in train services. When a train fails, we can go all day without a rail service. If elected, will you seek funding to ensure that reliable trains are provided, that sufficient traincrew are employed and work with both unions and operators to ensure that agreements are in place to allow services to run.
 
Lastly, I would ask, for many years bus and rail services have got more and more disjointed. Will you seek to reverse this, ensuring that Barton Town buses and buses for Brigg, Scunthorpe and Hull meet each other and meet rail services at Barton Interchange, that there are good bus connections from Habrough station to Immingham and Killingholme and that in Grimsby and Cleethorpes there is good connectivity between bus and rail. Will you also look at through ticketing for multimodal journeys, both for longer distance journeys such as connections via Barton to Hull and via Grimsby to Louth and for local journeys, such as by rail from Great Coates to Grimsby Town, connecting by bus to Grimsby Hospital.
 
I wish you all the best for your campaign and the election.
 
2: Re: 2025 Lincolnshire Mayoral election (response to 1)
Posted by TomIrvin on 29/04/25 14:59

Response from Jason Stockwood, Labour:

Hi Tom,

Thanks so much for your thoughtful message and for laying out these important points in such detail. I really appreciate the work groups like the Friends of the Barton Line do to keep these issues visible and on the agenda.

On your specific points: I completely understand the frustration with the reduction in commuter services, the undelivered franchise promises, and the disjointed connections between bus and rail.

While I do not want to make promises I cannot guarantee before taking office, I can absolutely commit that if elected, I will look into all of these issues in detail as part of developing a proper Lincolnshire Transport Strategy.

Public transport is vital for connecting people to work, education and opportunity. If we are serious about growing our economy and reducing rural isolation, we have to improve reliability, coordination and affordability and that includes lines like Barton where connectivity is so critical.

More broadly, I want to push for:

  • Better coordination between bus and rail services

  • Clearer accountability on franchise commitments

  • Exploring integrated ticketing for easier multimodal travel

  • Campaigning for rural transport investment to close the gaps between villages, towns and key services

Thank you again for writing and please keep in touch as whatever happens after 2 May, these issues need strong, consistent voices to champion them.

3: Re: 2025 Lincolnshire Mayoral election (response to 1)
Posted by TomIrvin on 29/04/25 15:01

Response from Andrea Jenkyns, Reform:

Thank you for your email. 
 
I used to live, New Holland, East Halton, Healing then Cleethorpes growing up. I know how important these links are.
 
This is why I am proposing a Transport For Lincolnshire,  just like they have a Transport For London. So we can get all stakeholders together, including community groups such as yourselves, to end the silo approach, and finally get Lincolnshire moving with a strategic transport plan.
 
My believe also is that a bus service should be a lifeline, and not a last resort, which it often is in rural areas.
 
Hopefully we can get you involved if I am elected, and we can get a scheme that works for everyone. 
4: Re: 2025 Lincolnshire Mayoral election (response to 1)
Posted by TomIrvin on 29/04/25 15:02

Response from Sally Anne Horscrofty, Green:

Dear Tom, thank you for getting in touch.

 

Public transport throughout the county is, quite frankly, a mess.  A friend in Lincoln, who works in Grimsby, said a very similar thing - that she has to drive because the train times don't enable her to get to work on time.  We had a similar issue with trains to Sleaford, arriving just to late for school children and workers.

 

Obviously, with our privatised rail and bus companies, it's not going to be easy but trying to make public transport work as it should to meet the needs of the everyone is a priority for me.

 

5: Re: 2025 Lincolnshire Mayoral election (response to 1)
Posted by TomIrvin on 29/04/25 15:03

Response from Marianne Overton, Lincolnshire Independents:

Thank you Tom for bringing this to my attention.  All that you say makes perfect sense, getting public services to conveniently meet, running a reliable service to and from work, and perhaps integrate fares on a single public transport card. I have worked on this with my own bus service and would be keen to make your rail services work too. In making a case, do you think the use of your line could be increased to improve rail business, keep more people off the road and part fund more lines? We would need to set up a proper working group on this to incorporate all suggestions.

 

A FBL reply has been sent to this.