Trains at Cleethorpes

[Masbroughlad]

So, I've been to Cleethorpes today, using TPEx. I have visited the 'resort' for many years.

I remember travelling there from South Yorkshire over the years. Classic 1st generation DMUs, Transpennine 123/4s, class 31s and mk2s. What came after those? Today was a 185.

It used to be 6 platforms and better kept. There used to be daily trains to and from London - 47/55 and then HSTs on the Humber-Lincs Executive.

Destinations today were Barton, Matlock, Liverpool and Manchester Airport (?). There are 4 platforms in use now, but I only saw 2 today. The surrounding infrastructure all looked rather scant and sad.

Cleethorpes used to be served by Central Trains and Arriva Trains Northern? Anybody else after initial privatisation? I think INTERCITY had stopped well before then.

Over the years (70's onwards), where had through trains with Cleethorpes?

Why does, what seems a seemingly rundown coastal town, warrant the service it does? (I am glad it does). There are many coastal towns that are nothing more than a branch, or just a shuttle service. Many bigger seaside towns don't even have a railway these days.

Do people think Cleethorpes will be better or worse connected with GBR? Or will things stay as they are? Have LNER dropped their plans? And Grand Central?

Better coastal, Holidaymaker type destinations in the UK, may become more attractive, if overseas vacations are costly and inaccessible due to an unstable World.

Throwing it out there for discussion.

 

[norbitonflyer]

I remember travelling there from South Yorkshire over the years. Classic 1st generation DMUs, Transpennine 123/4s, class 31s and mk2s. What came after those? Today was a 185.



Why does, what seems a seemingly rundown coastal town, warrant the service it does? (I am glad it does).

I think TPE used 158s for a while, and Northern would have used Pacers. Central/ East Midlands servives were usually an extesnion of the Lincoln-Newark shuttle, which was usually a 153 or 156. Googling Ckleethorpes station finds photos of all those classes

Why Cleethorpes has such a good service is because of history, and it has the ports at Immingham and Grimsby, and the former Humber Ferry, to thank.
No less than four routes converge on the area - (a fifth, the East Lincolnshire Line with its direct services to Peterborough and London, closed in 1970), and two of them (from Doncaster and from the Midlands via Lincoln) have large freight flows to Immingham Docks. This kept the lines open, so there was no reason to drop the passenger services. The former GCR main line via Gainsborough was still important enough to keep in the Beeching era (the closure of the Torksey Viaduct in 1959 meant that Sheffield to Lincoln services were diverted via Gainsborough - the decline of the section through Brigg came later.
The fourth line survived the Beeching cuts because it was the connection to the Humber Ferry.

Cleethorpes, of course, is not the main traffic generator in the area - Grimsby is. But there is no room at Grimsby for trains to lay over, whilst Cleethorpes, with lots of platforms to cater for Victorian excursion trains, does.

 

[pokemonsuper9]

But there is no room at Grimsby for trains to lay over,

What about the bay platform that seems to get little use?
Trains going to Cleethorpes have to fit though the single line sections which when I was there appeared to work well but I can see how it could have issues if a train appears late.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Destinations today were Barton, Matlock, Liverpool and Manchester Airport (?). There are 4 platforms in use now, but I only saw 2 today.

Midweek, you can also add Newark Northgate and Sheffield (via Brigg) and Nottingham to the list. Final four departures of the day from Cleethorpes use each of the four platforms. Not sure that Manchester Airport is currently a destination from Cleethorpes though. On Saturdays, there's also workings headed for Derby and Doncaster. On Sundays, Manchester Piccadilly is a destination.

Obviously, some of these variant destinations are evening services finishing short of where they might normally work through to.

 

[K13R0N]

What about the bay platform that seems to get little use?
Trains going to Cleethorpes have to fit though the single line sections which when I was there appeared to work well but I can see how it could have issues if a train appears late.

Platform 3 was used by an East Midlands stopper from Leicester/Nottingham prior to the December 25 TT change but it does see two early morning terminators on weekdays from Nottingham that go back out to Matlock

 

[Pyewipecarshed]

I remember travelling there from South Yorkshire over the years. Classic 1st generation DMUs, Transpennine 123/4s, class 31s and mk2s. What came after those? Today was a 185.

The 31s and mk2s were replaced by a rag-tag of DMUs of both first and second generation, working Sheffield/Doncaster to Cleethorpes. Classes 101/108/110/111/142/144 and 150 could appear, and later 156. In May 1992 the service was extended to Manchester Piccadilly and classed as part of the Transpennine Express network, at which point class 158s took over, assisted at times by 156s.
The route (and its 158s) passed to the privatised Regional Railways North East, later renamed Northern Spirit and Arriva Trains Northern. When ATN was split in 2004 the route and units passed to Transpennine Express; the 158s were replaced with 185s from 2006 onwards.
There was also the brief use of class 68s and Mk5 coaches on the line, c2022/3.

The Barton service was resourced from Lincoln depot until the latter shut in 1987, using classes 114 and (occasionally) 105. Responsibility passed to Leeds Neville Hill in 1987 with classes 142 and 144, plus frequent substitutions by first gen classes 101/108/110/111, and even a class 31 with MK1 coaches on a couple of occasions.
From early 1992 rolling stock responsibility passed to Regional Railways Central at Tyseley (Birmingham) using 153s, plus a one-off appearance by Midline-liveried class 121 55033.
Circa 1993/4 Regional Railways North East at Heaton took over stock provision, again with 153s. The "tin rockets" then worked until the 2020s, variously provided by Heaton and Neville Hill. In Northern Spirit/ATN days classes 142/144/150 also appeared.
The first rounder of the day was run using a class 158 which then went onto a Manchester diagram.
After Transpennine Express was split off from ATN in 2004, the line was crewed by TPE staff based at Cleethorpes, although officially an ATN/Nothern Rail service. A TPE 158 continued to work the first trip, again replaced by a 185 from 2006, and this continued until COVID in 2020 and the resulting temporary timetable.
Shortly after this, the route transferred to East Midlands Railway, again using 153s. EMR began crewing the route in late-2022,at which point the 153s finally retired and were replaced with 156s, which in turn gave way to 170s and the occasional 158.

Comparatively the other two routes are simple! Sheffield via Brigg went from BR to RRNE, Northern Spirit, ATN and Northern. 101/108/110/111/142/144 gave way to 142/144/153 in the early 1990s, joined by the odd 150 from the late 90s. Nowadays the service is generally a 150/2, with semi-frequent appearances by 3-car 150/0s and less regularly 158s.

The Lincoln line went from Central Trains, with 150/153/156/158 to East Midlands Trains (delete the 150s) and East Midlands Railway, who got rid of the 153s and 156s but added 170s.

Why does, what seems a seemingly rundown coastal town, warrant the service it does? (I am glad it does). There are many coastal towns that are nothing more than a branch, or just a shuttle service. Many bigger seaside towns don't even have a railway these days

As others have said, Grimsby is the main year-round traffic objective, although Cleethorpes is getting busier with folk from the area around.
The railway has a virtual public transport monopoly in the region; the only out-of-town bus routes from Grimsby are to Lincoln, Hull, Louth and Immingham. Lincoln takes twice as long as the train.
Habrough is close to Immingham, so acts as a railhead for that town.

Have LNER dropped their plans? And Grand Central

I'm not sure regarding Grand Central. LNERs plan is on hold due to difficulties stopping an Azuma at Market Rasen (I believe due to the wheelchair space not being on the platform).
They proposed to omit the Market Rasen stop; the local MP with typical hyperbole threatened to lay on the track in front of the train to stop it. Then everything went quiet!!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 23 Apr 2026 ==

Over the years (70's onwards), where had through trains with Cleethorpes?

An odd one from the September 1992 timetable was that the 1220 from Manchester Piccadilly terminated at Grimsby Town rather than Cleethorpes, then formed a 1504 Grimsby Town to Blackpool North via Manchester, running Monday to Saturday.

I think INTERCITY had stopped well before then.

The same 1992 timetable still has the London service; 0612 from Cleethorpes on Monday to Saturday, arriving London Kings Cross 0916 (Monday to Friday) or 0901 (Saturday). On Sundays 1255 from Cleethorpes arriving in London at 1658.
The return working left London at 1750 Monday to Friday, arriving Cleethorpes 2049. Saturdays was 1830 from Kings Cross, arriving Cleethorpes at 2143, and Sundays 2005 from London, arriving 2314.
I assume the London-bound Sunday working used a diversionary route between Peterborough and Kings Cross, as it was given 1 hour 40 to get between the two, as opposed to the normal 50 minutes.

 

[Lemmy282]

Midweek, you can also add Newark Northgate and Sheffield (via Brigg) and Nottingham.

Sheffield via Brigg is operated by Northern and is one train each way. You get about 40 minutes in Cleethorpes before it comes back to Sheffield

 

[Magdalia]

Over the years (70's onwards), where had through trains with Cleethorpes?

1970 is a significant date, it is when the East Lincs route via Louth and Boston closed, and London trains started running via Newark. But it is before the Humber Bridge opened in 1981.

At that time Cleethorpes had daily services to Newark (some to/from London), Sheffield via Brigg, Doncaster and New Holland Pier. There were still a few summer Saturday holiday trains to/from Sheffield, Leeds and Manchester.

The lines in the Grimsby/Cleethorpes area were built primarily for freight. Cleethorpes had a big station to handle seaside day excursion traffic, mainly from the Sheffield area, though most of this had ceased by the 1970s. As others have said, the daily services are primarily for Grimsby; Cleethorpes happens to be an operationally convenient place to terminate and start trains.

 

[Peterthegreat]

Sheffield via Brigg is operated by Northern and is one train each way. You get about 40 minutes in Cleethorpes before it comes back to Sheffield

You actually get 1 hour 38 minutes.

 

[Lemmy282]

You actually get 1 hour 38 minutes.

Apologies, missed off the 1 hour, must read reply before clicking send!

 

[norbitonflyer]

I assume the London-bound Sunday working used a diversionary route between Peterborough and Kings Cross, as it was given 1 hour 40 to get between the two, as opposed to the normal 50 minutes.

It didn't always use a diversionary route, but the timings allowed for the occasions when it did. I can recall using them on Sundays and getting to Victoria before I was supposed to have arrived in Kings Cross.

 

[Pyewipecarshed]

It didn't always use a diversionary route, but the timings allowed for the occasions when it did. I can recall using them on Sundays and getting to Victoria before I was supposed to have arrived in Kings Cross.

Good info, thank you.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 25 Apr 2026 ==

One of the strangest workings to Cleethorpes was a class 73 in January 2022, link to YouTube video below

 

[Lemmy282]

Just looked at the timetable for Saturday May 16th, Northern are running four return journeys from Sheffield to Cleethorpes via Brigg, presumably due to the proposed engineering works near Swinton