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Ale aboard as passengers get train times at pub

Grace McGroryin Barton-upon-Humber
BBC The photo shows a man smiling at the camera. He's wearing a blue blazer, a green top and glasses. He's standing in front of a black frame. Above his head is a train departure board, which reads "Cleethorpes" and various other railway stations in LED lighting. BBC
Rod North with the information board, which is close to the bar at The White Swan

Train passengers can now get live travel updates in a town pub, thanks to railway enthusiasts.

A group of volunteers raised enough money to install an electronic timetable board inside The White Swan, which is opposite Barton-upon-Humber railway station.

The Friends of the Barton Line said they stepped in after East Midlands Railway (EMR), which runs the station, told them it would not purchase the equipment.

A spokesperson for EMR said it had "no plans" to install boards at all stations on the line, which runs between Barton and Cleethorpes, but it provided "real-time journey information through a range of channels".

Rod North, the volunteer group's treasurer, said the board was for passenger and safety information.

"Other railway stations have got them, I don't see why this one can't have," he explained.

"I've walked past knowing the trains have been cancelled and had to go and tell passengers on the station, 'sorry, there's no train'. There's no information at all at the minute."

The board benefits from the pub's wi-fi, which it requires for live updates.

The photo shows a woman standing behind a bar in a pub. She has brown hair, and is wearing a black jumper. She's holding a pump and is about to pull a pint. She's standing in front of bottles, packets of crisps and glasses.
Lisa Horrocks organised a fundraiser for the board at The White Swan

Lisa Horrocks, landlady at The White Swan, said: "Being opposite the train station, we do get a lot of people in here where the trains have been cancelled and there's been no real information.

"So we just thought it would be nice if there was something that people could see."

There are 14 stations on the Barton Line, 12 operated by EMR. According to National Rail, 10 do not have customer information screens.

Eight trains run between Barton and Cleethorpes on weekdays and Saturdays, with one every two hours on average. There is a Sunday service during summer months.

The volunteer group said they would like to see an hourly service six days a week and a Sunday service all year round.

North said: "There's just too long of a gap between the trains to make it useful."

The photo shows four information boards at a railway station. They all have different writing on them. Above are signs which read 'information.'
There are no live customer information screens on Barton station

The EMR spokesperson said the company welcomed "the efforts of community groups" in "supporting their local stations", but "decisions on new infrastructure must balance a range of factors including cost, usage levels and overall value for money".

Since taking over the route, EMR had invested £400,000 in station improvements and introduced Class 170 trains "which are currently undergoing a £23m refurbishment programme to further improve onboard facilities", they added.

The company remained "committed to working with local stakeholders to support the long-term development" of the line.

A spokesperson for the Department for Transport said there were no plans to increase services on the Barton line, as the level of passenger demand did not justify the additional costs.

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