Notes: Stickney was one of the larger villages along the line; the station was sited in a shallow cutting to the west of the A16 road bridge. The station had two brick-faced platforms and unlike other stations on the line the booking office was incorporated into the up platform waiting room with an approach road from the A16. The signalbox was on the down side of the line on the east side of the A16. The goods yard comprised a single siding with a loading dock which was on the up side of the line opposite the signalbox.

The single siding would hold a maximum of 29 wagons and goods traffic at Stickney consisted of
potatoes, corn, hay, straw, sugar beet, seed potatoes, cattle, horses and coal. During WW2 building materials for new airfields was delivered to Stickney yard. During the construction of East Kirkby airfield there was a proposal to build three additional sidings running behind the signalbox to handle 40 - 50 wagons of ballast a day but it was eventually decided to make do with the existing siding with additional wagons being unloaded at New Bolingbroke. The airfield became operational on 27th August, 1943. From this time the railway brought in all materials and goods for the RAF. High explosive bombs and ammunition were also brought in to the station from the ammunition depot at Swinderby.

During the war the Home Guard used the station approach road for their Sunday marches and the
Stickney army cadets also met on Sunday mornings in the downside waiting room.

The station was closed in 1915 as a wartime economy measure re-opening on 9th July 1923. Stickney lost its goods facilities on 30th March 1964. The station became unstaffed on 7th October, 1968 and final closure was on 5th October 1970.

BRIEF HISTORY OF THE KIRKSTEAD & LITTLE STEEPING RAILWAY (NEW LINE)
The East Lincolnshire Railway (ELR) was proposed as one of a group of allied railway bills during 1845 and 1846 as part of plans by the Great Northern Railway (GNR) to provide a link between London and Leeds/York. The section between Louth and Grimsby was opened on 1st March 1848 quickly followed by Louth to Boston on 1st October 1848.

The Wainfleet & Firsby Railway (W & FR) opened a line between Firsby on the ELR and Wainfleet to goods traffic on 11th September 1871 and to passengers on 24th October 1871. At this time Skegness was primarily a fishing village with a small harbour; the development of Skegness as a holiday resort began with the coming of the railway. With the

The majority of holiday traffic to the new holiday resort came from the south, much of it from London. To attract visitors from the north of England a number of schemes were proposed to build a direct link between Lincoln and Skegness replacing the circuitous routes that already existed.

There was also a demand for cross-country freight traffic with other companies keen to bring their goods into what the GNR regarded as a poor area reliant on a good harvest to ensure prosperity in any year. In a bad year like 1879 when a wet summer and autumn destroyed much of their harvest people in Lincolnshire could barely afford products like coal. In 1884 the Lincoln & Skegness Railway Bill was approved by the House of Commons despite opposition from the GNR. In the Lords the GNR continued their opposition refusing subscribe to, take over, or work the proposed railway; the Bill was defeated in the Lords.

Within a few years another Bill was put before Parliament and on 16th September 1887 the Lincoln, Horncastle, Spilsby & East Coast Railway (HS&ECR) received authority to build a line from Stixwould on the Lincolnshire Loop Line Lincolnshire Loop Line which had been opened by the GNR between Boston and Lincoln in 1848 as part of their main line from London to the north. The HS&ECR would have running powers to Lincoln and Firsby including junctions with the Horncastle, Spilsby and Skegness lines. On this occasion the GNR didn't appose the Bill agreeing to work the line for 60 per cent of the receipts. The company was unable to raise sufficient capital and the GNR declined an offer to take over the powers when the scheme was abandoned in 1891.

There were no further proposals for a northern route into Skegness until 1910 when Skegness Town Council approached the GNR asking for better service to the resort from Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds. It suggested a line linking the Spilsby & Horncastle branches stating that if the GNR was not sympathetic they would seek help from the Midland Railway. An alternative scheme was also suggested with a new line being built from Kirkstead on the Boston - Lincoln line to Little Steeping on the ELR. There were already summer excursions from Manchester with through carriages for Skegness being detached from a Yarmouth train.

The GNR Board approved the latter scheme as a light railway to keep land acquisition prices low. Plans were sent to the Light Railway Commission on 18th May, 1911 and after holding an enquiry at Boston on 18th July they granted the order with three years given as the limit for the compulsory purchase of any land required. Although the new railway’s official title was

The New Line was engineered by Alexander Ross and construction of the 15-mile double track line started at both ends in March 1912. The line left the loop line at Coningsby junction 1 1/2 miles south of Kirkstead station (renamed Woodhall Junction 10th July 1922), joining the ELR at Bellwater Junction, between Eastville and Little Steeping. The land was generally flat so there were no engineering difficulties with only three roads requiring bridges.

Intermediate stations were built at Coningsby, Tumby Woodside, New Bolingbroke, Stickney and Midville; all the stations being provided with goods facilities and substantial station houses and large brick booking offices. The new line opened for goods on 1st June and passengers on 1st July, 1913 with four local trains running each way between Lincoln and Skegness in addition to the express service between Sheffield and Skegness. In the beginning a 25 mph speed restriction was imposed by the Board of Trade, but this was later increased to 50 mph for much of its length.

In 1916 the GNR Board decided to lift one ‘New Line’ track to assist the war effort. The track was to be relayed in France but unfortunately the vessel carrying the rails sank in the English Channel. Although holiday traffic was greatly reduced and tourist tickets withdrawn, the daily Lincoln-Skegness service continued throughout the war. The missing track was reinstated and in use again from 10th July, 1923.

The findings of the meeting were submitted to the Minister of Transport who concluded that the British Railways board should re-examine its proposals. This it did and in due course once again proposed closure, this time with the exception of the Skegness line. A second TUCC inquiry was held at Skegness in May 1968, lasting for two days. The findings were again

Closure of the new line was announced for 5th October 1970 with the last train running on Saturday 3rd October 1970. Today much of the route which crossed flat arable land has gone without trace except for the stations.  Only Stickney which was in a cutting and Coningsby which was on a low embankment have disappeared completely.

Direction designations (down and up) are confusing on the New Line, a train travelling from Firsby to Lincoln is initially an 'up' train. (from Firsby it is heading towards London) once it joins the Lincolnshire Loop line at Conningsby Junction it becomes a 'down' train.

Tickets from Michael Stewart, route map drawn by Alan Young

Source: Railways to Skegness by AJ Ludlam. Published 19(7 by Oakwood Press ISBN 0 85361 518 7

Other web sites:Lincolnshire & East Yorkshire Transport Review includes pictures of the line. Lincolnshire Railway's from the past Adam Cartwright's excellent web site crammed with pictures of Lincolnshire stations including the 'New Line'

To see other stations on the 'New Line' click on the station name:
Woodhall Junction, Coningsby, Tumby Woodside, New Bolingbroke, Midville & Little Steepng (ELR)