History Spalding railway station

a 1903 railway clearing house map of railways in vicinity of spalding (upper centre)

spalding gained first rail links peterborough, boston , lincoln in 1848, courtesy of great northern railway (gnr) built main line london doncaster through town; spalding railway station opened on 17 october 1848. route superseded direct line via grantham within 4 years, remained used traffic heading towards louth , grimsby on former east lincolnshire railway.

the gnr subsequently added line eastwards sutton bridge via holbeach (the norwich & spalding railway) in stages between 1858 , 1862, westward route bourne in 1866 , march following year in attempt thwart ambitions of competing great eastern railway (ger). these efforts didn t succeed , company agreed work these routes jointly midland railway (the former pair forming backbone of midland , great northern joint railway system) , ger (march line) beginning of 1870s. collaboration between gnr , ger led construction of last route out of town, ge&gn joint line sleaford opened traffic on 1 august 1882.

by end of nineteenth century town had become major rail crossroads , station had grown reflect this, having more doubled in size opening half century earlier. later become popular destination in own right, annual tulip festival bringing excursion trains town on country late 1950s onwards.

british railways formed on 1 january 1948, , spalding station renamed spalding town on 1 december 1948. midland & great northern routes town heavily used, particularly in summer months, 1950s, first suffer br economy drive of time, closing passengers on 28 february 1959. east lincolnshire line boston suffer similar fate decade later, last trains grimsby & peterborough running on 3 october 1970. left joint line surviving route through town; typically 3 trains per day each way between lincoln , march/cambridge called @ station in period. however, status junction restored within months, line peterborough regaining limited (thrice daily, peak hours only) passenger service 7 june 1971.

the joint line remained busy freight artery next few years, serving 1 main outlets marshalling yard complex @ whitemoor general decline in freight traffic in area lead spalding march portion s closure traffic on 27 november 1982. left town same rail access had in 1848, albeit trains lincoln running via sleaford rather boston. services , peterborough did improve following closure of march line, existing service lincoln diverted start , terminate there , trains being added timetable.

the station, known in steam days spalding town, honoured on 3 may 2002 when main line locomotive dedicated it. class 31 diesel no. 31106, owned cambridgeshire businessman , enthusiast howard johnston, born nearby, arrived on tulip parade day special train, , short stopover arranged colin fisher, chairman of south holland district council, unveil cast spalding town nameplate (which includes authority s crest within it) on side of engine. presented replica plate permanent reminder of occasion. although intended public display, has not yet taken place.

station masters