Poacher Line CRP

Discover scenic stations, sandy beaches and more

From the bustling city of Nottingham to the traditional seaside resort of Skegness, take in the rolling Lincolnshire countryside and the market towns of Grantham, Sleaford and Boston along the way. There are plenty of local attractions on the Poacher Line.

Journey information

Stretching 78 miles, the line runs from Nottingham to Skegness, with a total journey time of two hours and 10 minutes.

Top three must-sees

Skegness

Six miles of sandy beaches, Fantasy Island theme park and lots to do for all ages.

Railway walks

Scenic linear walks between Poacher Line stations (from 6 to 9.5 miles long)

Boston Mayflower 400

A year-long series of events starting with Boston Illuminate in November 2019: marking 400 years since the sailing of the Mayflower in 1620

Discover more about the Poacher Line.

Events on the Poacher Line

Step on board the Music Trains, an unusual venue for a variety of live music acts with time for a stop at a local brewery. Music trains head to different venues throughout the year - Batemans, Castle Rock and eight sailed breweries. These are normal scheduled train services, you just need a train ticket to join the fun. And don't miss the Winter Express or the Bucket and Spade train.

The Community Rail Partnership

The Poacher Line Community Rail Partnership was founded in 2006 with the aim of regenerating the rural stations along the 78 mile route. Skegness station was completely transformed in 2014, and other projects include new station gardens at Ancaster and Bottesford.

In conjunction with Sustrans, the CRP has delivered four school projects to create mosaics for the footbridge at Sleaford station, and given over 150 school children the opportunity to travel by train. Art and photography projects with St George's Academy in Sleaford and Skegness Grammar, created a bright mural on Platform 7 at Skegness station.

Click here to view the Poacher Line Annual Report

Get involved

Working with local communities and groups along the route is at the heart of the Community Rail Partnership. There's a thriving station adoption scheme with over 40 adopters on the Poacher Line. And there are always opportunities for groups to collaborate with the CRP on:

  • Gardening and art projects
  • Rail safety
  • School projects
  • Events
  • Train trips for those disadvantaged or more vulnerable in society
  • Tourism services
  • Eco-friendly and wildlife projects

Find out more about becoming a station adopter . And if you’d like to work with the partnership, email: [email protected]

Travel on the Poacher Line

Trains run hourly from Nottingham to Skegness via the market towns of Grantham, Sleaford and Boston. Hop on and off the train all day along the Poacher Line with a Lincolnshire Day Ranger ticket (not valid on Saturdays in July or August). Buy at staffed stations in the day ranger area.

Buy single and return train tickets online or at the station.

Buy tickets