The Wardman Wire

This ten minute segment is from “Open Country” last Saturday (at 6:30am) about a project under the Community Rail Development Scheme to rejuvenate the Poacher Line from Sleaford to Skegness in Lincolnshire.

Open Country is on Radio 4, at 6:30am on Saturdays, and is repeated the following Thursday at 1:30pm.

[Update: I hadn't spotted that the entire programme is being repeated here as this post is published.]

This is a good conversation about the nature of, and challenges facing, rural railways. Among other things, they are trying out Skiffle Bands and Speed Dating on the train to balance out quiet times, and it seems to be working.

This is the description, which I can’t link to because the web address will change:

In 2004, the Department of Transportation created the Community Rail Development Scheme to look at opportunties to help rural lines.

The Poacher Line, in Lincolnshire, was one of seven pilot projects the DfT set up. Helen Mark speaks with Chris Watson, community rail manager, who tells her a bit about the different schemes the line has adopted. One of those is the music train, where bands perform in the aisles. Helen taps her toes to the Jet Skiffle and Blues Band (pictured) who regularly enterain passengers travelling down to Wainfleet for special nights.

Tags: poacher line, radio 4, audio, podcast