Bottesford railway station

52°56′41″N 0°47′43″W / 52.94472°N 0.79529°W / 52.94472; -0.79529Grid referenceSK810392Managed byEast Midlands RailwayPlatforms2Other informationStation codeBTFClassificationDfT category F2HistoryOpened15 July 1850Original companyAmbergate, Nottingham and Boston and Eastern Junction RailwayPre-groupingGreat Northern RailwayPost-groupingLondon and North Eastern RailwayPassengers2018/19 63,6282019/20 62,4642020/21 9,3682021/22 35,7522022/23 48,508

Notes
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

Bottesford railway station serves the village of Bottesford in Leicestershire, England. The station is 15 miles (24 km) east of Nottingham, on the lines to Grantham and Skegness. It is the least used station in Leicestershire.

History

The line through Bottesford was first opened by the Ambergate, Nottingham, Boston and Eastern Junction Railway on 15 July 1850,^[1] then taken over by the Great Northern Railway.^[2]

The station buildings were designed by Thomas Chambers Hine.^[3]

There was also a link to the old GNR Newark to Leicester cross-country route a short distance to the east; this remained in use for freight until 1988 but has since been lifted.

From 7 January 1963 passenger steam trains between Grantham, Bottesford, Elton and Orston, Aslockton, Bingham, Radcliffe-on-Trent, Netherfield and Colwick, Nottingham London-road (High Level) and Nottingham (Victoria) were replaced by diesel multiple-unit trains.^[4]

The station is now owned by Network Rail and managed by East Midlands Railway, which provides all rail services.

Facilities

The station is unstaffed and offers limited facilities other than two shelters, bicycle storage, timetables and modern Help Points. The station does not have any ticket purchasing facilities, which means that all tickets must be purchased from the conductor on the train at no extra cost.^[5]

Plans to open a community garden on a derelict piece of land at the station started in early 2018. In June 2019, such a garden was opened by the Duchess of Rutland.^[6]

Services

There is a daily service every hour or two hours westbound to Nottingham and eastbound to Skegness via Grantham.^[7] Several Grantham trains have connections to London King's Cross or to York.

An extra service to Liverpool stops every day, and on Sundays there is an extra service to Norwich.

Bottesford is the least used station in the county of Leicestershire and is one stop down the line from Nottinghamshire's least used station, Elton and Orston.

Preceding station		National Rail		Following station
Elton and Orston		East Midlands Railway Nottingham–Grantham line		Grantham

Former services

The Great Northern and London and North Western Joint Railway opened in 1879, providing a Leicester to Grantham service from 1882 to 1953.

Preceding station		Disused railways		Following station
Elton		Great Northern Railway Nottingham to Grantham		Sedgebrook
Bottesford South		Great Northern Railway Leicester Belgrave Road to Grantham		Sedgebrook
Terminus		Great Northern Railway Denton branch (goods)		Denton

References

1. ^ "Ambergate, Nottingham and Boston, and Eastern Junction Railway". Nottingham Review and General Advertiser for the Midland Counties. England. 12 July 1850. Retrieved 29 June 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
2. ^ G. Kingscott (2004) Lost Railways of Nottinghamshire, Newbury: Countryside Books.
3. ^ "The Ambergate Railway". Nottinghamshire Guardian. England. 18 July 1850. Retrieved 29 June 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
4. ^ "Train Service Alterations from Monday". Grantham Journal. England. 4 January 1963. Retrieved 18 December 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
5. ^ "Bottesford - Least Used Station in Leicestershire". Geoff Marshall via YouTube. 23 April 2018. Archived from the original on 22 December 2021.
6. ^ Davies, Tracey (25 June 2019). "Duchess of Rutland opens community garden at Bottesford railway station". The Grantham Journal.
7. ^ "Timetables | Bottesford". East Midlands Railway.

Birmingham–Peterborough lineIvanhoe lineMidland Main LineNottingham–Grantham line

Heritage railways

Battlefield Line RailwayGreat Central Railway