The Robin Hood Line
Nottingham to Worksop
A reopening success story
Nottingham to Worksop
A reopening success story
In October 1964, as a consequence of the Beeching Report, passenger services were withdrawn
from the Midland line between Nottingham Midland and Worksop. The line between
Bestwood Junction and Linby remained in use to serve the collieries in the Hucknal area. The
section Between Annesley and Kirkby in Ashfield was lifted and Kirkby Tunnel was filled with
colliery waste, ostensibly because it was expected to be adversely affected by underlying colliery
workings. Ironically, when it was re-excavated in the early 1990s, it was found to be in
excellent condition. The line between Pye Bridge Junction and Worksop remained in use to
serve the many collieries of the North Nottinghamshire coalfield. This left Mansfield as the
largest town in the UK without a railway station. From withdrawal of the passenger services
the local authorities campaigned for a rail service and in 1993 managed to get a reinstatement of
the line to Newstead. Stage 2 of the project was to reinstate the line to Kirkby Summit Junction
and rebuild stations to Mansfield Woodhouse and Stage 3 was to rebuild stations between
Mansfield Woodhouse and Worksop. The scheme was so successful that trains had to be
lengthened to alleviate overcrowding at peak times, and additional trains were added to the
timetable. In 2009 a Sunday service was provided.
from the Midland line between Nottingham Midland and Worksop. The line between
Bestwood Junction and Linby remained in use to serve the collieries in the Hucknal area. The
section Between Annesley and Kirkby in Ashfield was lifted and Kirkby Tunnel was filled with
colliery waste, ostensibly because it was expected to be adversely affected by underlying colliery
workings. Ironically, when it was re-excavated in the early 1990s, it was found to be in
excellent condition. The line between Pye Bridge Junction and Worksop remained in use to
serve the many collieries of the North Nottinghamshire coalfield. This left Mansfield as the
largest town in the UK without a railway station. From withdrawal of the passenger services
the local authorities campaigned for a rail service and in 1993 managed to get a reinstatement of
the line to Newstead. Stage 2 of the project was to reinstate the line to Kirkby Summit Junction
and rebuild stations to Mansfield Woodhouse and Stage 3 was to rebuild stations between
Mansfield Woodhouse and Worksop. The scheme was so successful that trains had to be
lengthened to alleviate overcrowding at peak times, and additional trains were added to the
timetable. In 2009 a Sunday service was provided.
