Utterby Halt railway station

Utterby Halt was a railway halt on the East Lincolnshire Railway[1] which served the village of Utterby in Lincolnshire between 1905 and 1961. The station, which opened as part of a new motor train service between Grimsby Town and Louth, is reputed to be haunted by the ghost of a ganger killed on the level crossing in 1953. The line through Utterby remained open for freight until December 1980.

Utterby Halt
Station site in 2007.
LocationUtterby, East Lindsey
England
Platforms2
Other information
StatusDisused
History
Original companyGreat Northern Railway
Post-groupingLondon and North Eastern Railway
Eastern Region of British Railways
Key dates
11 December 1905Opened
11 September 1961Closed
December 1980Closure of line

History

The station was opened on 11 December 1905[2] to coincide with the introduction of a motor train service by the Great Northern Railway.[3] It consisted of two low parallel halt platforms to the south of the level crossing over Pear Tree Lane; lamps were provided on both platforms, but only the down platform had a waiting shelter for passengers: a small wooden hut equipped with a heating stove.[4][5] A crossing keeper's cottage lay to the north of the crossing on the down side[6] which was of standard East Lincolnshire Railway design similar to that seen at Fotherby Halt, Grainsby Halt, Holton Village Halt and Weelsby Road Halt, all of which pre-dated the opening of the respective halts.[7] Passenger services called at the station upon request only.[8] The station closed on 11 September 1961,[9] the same day as Fotherby Halt to the south which had also opened on the same day as part of the rail motor service.[10]

The halt is reputed to be haunted by the ghost of John Edward Lancaster, a length ganger, who was hit on the level crossing in dense fog by an oncoming Grimsby-Louth freight working in January 1953.[11][12]

Preceding station   Heritage railways Following station
Ludborough   Lincolnshire Wolds Railway
(Future Extension)		   Fotherby Halt
  Historical railways  
Ludborough
Line and station open		   Great Northern Railway
East Lincolnshire Line		   Fotherby Halt
Line and station closed

Present day

The halt was demolished by British Rail long before final closure of the line in December 1980 and little remains of it today.[13][14] The crossing keeper's cottage survives in good condition as a private residence.[6] Ludborough's old down distant signal post stands over the trackbed to the south towards Louth.[6]

On 28 September 1991, the Lincolnshire Wolds Railway obtained a Light Railway Order authorising the reinstatement of the East Lincolnshire Railway between Waltham and the former Keddington Road level crossing near Louth, which would include the line through Utterby.[15]

Future

The Lincolnshire Wolds railway is currently extending towards Utterby Halt. The extension will be opened as soon as time and money permit. A run round loop operated by a two lever ground frame will eventually be installed here and will form the southern end of the railway for some time.

However it will be some time before the level crossing will be re-instated. It is also very unlikely that a Halt will be built here as in BR days it never justified its own existence. The crossing again like Grainsby halt will probably end up being automatically worked. The old signal post will eventually be removed and restored for future use elsewhere on the railway.

Eventually once the railway reaches Louth, a passing loop might be installed here to allow two train working. This would enable one train to pass another and allow greater scope for train running.

References
  1. Conolly 2004, p. 22, section G2.
  2. Butt 1995, p. 238.
  3. Ludlam 1991, p. 93.
  4. King & Hewins 1998, fig. 14.
  5. Ludlam 1991, p. 85.
  6. "Disused Stations". Subterranea Britannica.
  7. King & Hewins 1998, fig. 178.
  8. Ludlam 1991, pp. 111-112.
  9. Clinker 1978, p. 139.
  10. Butt 1995, p. 99.
  11. Smith, Paul (9 April 2010). "It's fright light". Grimsby Telegraph. Retrieved 20 September 2010.
  12. Walker, C. (2007). "Utterby Halt". Haunted Places in the UK. Retrieved 20 September 2010.
  13. Stennett 2007, p. 40.
  14. Ludlam 1991, p. 150.
  15. "The Grimsby and Louth Light Railway Order 1991 (S.I. 1991 No. 2210)". Office of Public Sector Information. 28 September 1991. Retrieved 14 September 2010.

Sources
  • Butt, R. V. J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC 60251199.
  • Clinker, C.R. (October 1978). Clinker's Register of Closed Passenger Stations and Goods Depots in England, Scotland and Wales 1830-1977. Bristol: Avon-Anglia Publications & Services. ISBN 0-905466-19-5.
  • King, P.K.; Hewins, D.R. (1998) [1989]. The Railways around Grimsby, Cleethorpes, Immingham & North-East Lincolnshire. Romiley, Stockport: Foxline Publishing. ISBN 978-1-870119-04-7.
  • Ludlam, A.J. (1991). The East Lincolnshire Railway (OL82). Headington, Oxford: The Oakwood Press. ISBN 0-85361-416-4.
  • Conolly, W. Philip (2004) [1958]. British Railways Pre-Grouping Atlas and Gazetteer. Hersham, Surrey: Ian Allan Ltd. ISBN 978-0-7110-0320-0.
  • Stennett, Alan (2007). Lost Railways of Lincolnshire. Newbury, Berkshire: Countryside Books. ISBN 978-1-84674-040-4.

Further reading
  • Herbert, W.B. (1989). Railway Ghosts and Phantoms. David & Charles. Chapter 15. ISBN 978-0-7153-9783-1.

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