The Grimsby Telegraph has launched a campaign to save North East Lincolnshire's direct express service to Manchester. The government is examining the possibility of terminating the TransPennine Express service from Manchester at Doncaster, with a Sheffield to Cleethorpes service being operated by Northern Rail. But local politicians say this would leave the area cut-off from the rest of the country and have vowed to fight the plan. Reporter Simon Faulkner continues his journey on the train from Grimsby Town to find out what passengers think.
ACCORDING to the government many passengers from North East Lincolnshire do not travel all the way to Manchester on the TransPennine Express service, but get off at Doncaster to change trains.
And this is one of the reasons why the Department For Transport (DFT) is examining the option of scrapping the direct express service from Cleethorpes to Manchester.
One couple I meet, John and Lynn Meldrum, got on at Cleethorpes and are heading to Manchester Airport from where they will be flying to Ibiza.
They travel to the airport by train about four or five times a year.
"We choose Manchester Airport purely and simply because of the trains," says John, 77.
"It's much easier than Doncaster and East Midlands.
"We have flown from Humberside before but they don't have flights that often.
"If this happens we would have to start looking at Doncaster or even getting the National Express straight down to London."
One man who is travelling to London via Doncaster says the proposed shake-up wouldn't affect him.
"For me personally it's not a big deal but I imagine for the elderly it will make things quite difficult.
"By taking the service away some people might take the car instead, which will not be great for the environment."
Grimsby couple Stephanie and Denis Pidgen feel rather more strongly about the subject and have signed an online petition opposing the plan.
"It would be appalling if they change it," says Stephanie, 63.
"If we go on holiday we use the train to go to Manchester Airport. When you have two cases, hand luggage and a handbag and you are trying to change trains it's not good.
"They are taking everything away from Grimsby and Cleethorpes and it's not right."
Marie Bailey, 68, of New Waltham, uses the service to Manchester Airport three or four times a year.
Today, she is flying out to see her daughter in Lanzarote.
"I'm not happy about it because it's very handy when you haven't got to change."
The convenience of the service for North East Lincolnshire residents is underlined by the remarks of Gordon Hake, who is travelling back to his home in Sowerby Bridge having spent the weekend at his caravan in Cleethorpes.
"It's easier to get from Manchester Airport to Cleethorpes than it is from where I live. I would have to change at Manchester Victoria then get to Manchester Piccadilly to catch the train to the airport. It's disgraceful they are thinking about doing this when there are bums on seats."
Also travelling back home after a weekend in the caravan is Julie Borland, 50.
She regularly commutes between Grimsby and Liverpool, changing just once at Manchester Piccadilly.
"I would be gutted because it would make it awkward. It's nice to sit and relax and travel straight through.
"It's always busy when I'm on it so I don't know why they would want to stop it."
Today, Janice Orrick, 64, from Cleethorpes, is going on a trip to Meadowhall with her daughter Rachel Bebbington.
However, she often uses the service to go to Manchester Airport.
"It's a brilliant service," she says.
"Once you are on the train that's when your holiday starts.
"When you have got arthritis you don't want to be changing trains and lugging your cases off and on.
"We have got the Humber Bank and we are trying to attract people and businesses yet they are talking about taking this service away.
"They are making it more difficult instead of encouraging people to come and work here."
After getting off the train at Meadowhall I catch the delayed 11.16 service back to Cleethorpes.
Onboard are Ian Greenbeck, from New Waltham, his wife Jane and daughters Nicola and Suzanne.
The family are heading back to Grimsby after returning from holiday in Florida.
"It would affect us because we wouldn't be able to get to Manchester Airport so easily," says the 54-year-old who often travels by train to Manchester for business.
"If we fly from Manchester we don't take the car, whereas if we go to East Midlands we take the car, which we don't want to do because of the cost of petrol and parking. It's cheaper on the train."
Another passenger heading back to Grimsby is concerned that if the line is split, then North East Lincolnshire will lose its hourly train service to Doncaster and Sheffield.
"It's just cutting Grimsby off again. Once they split that service then the times will go.
"It would be a shame. They should be improving the service not cutting it."
We will pass on coupons and letters from readers and the online petition to the government and those involved in the consultation, which ends on August 18.
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