page_title: Bourne and Sleaford Railway
section_title: Construction -- eventually
hierarchical_section_title: Bourne and Sleaford Railway / Construction -- eventually
caption_attribution_description: English: Morton Road railway station- now (2013) a private house
context_page_description: The Bourne and Sleaford Railway was promoted as a branch of the Great Northern Railway to fend off an expected incursion by the rival Great Eastern Railway. It was authorised by Parliament in 1865, but not opened until 1871 and 1872. Although agricultural traffic provided healthy business, the rural character of the line never produced much passenger trade, and it was closed to passengers in 1930. The line was severed and ceased to be a through line in 1956 and closed completely in 1965.
context_section_description: The GNR evidently had second thoughts about the line, for they sought power to abandon the powers in 1868. This was refused by the Board of Trade who required completion by June 1871.
  Firbank's tender of £29,363 for construction of the line was accepted on 2 August 1870. An Act of 24 July 1871 permitted a slight deviation at Bourn to allow the line to terminate by a junction with the Bourn and Lynn Joint Railway. The railway was built as cheaply as possible. Except for a passing place at Billingborough, it was single track. Commencing by a junction at Sleaford the line ran for 17 miles 12 chains to Bourn junction (later Bourne East junction).
  The GNR paid the Midland and Eastern, the actual owners of the Bourn and Lynn section, £25 per annum for use of 143 yards of its line. There was a viaduct with six openings of 22ft 6in. Stations were built by S & W Pattinson for £4,781. Goods and passenger facilities were, north to south, at Burton (goods siding only); Scredington for Aswarby, Billingborough & Horbling for Folkingham, Rippingale, Hacconby (goods siding only: where the board turned down petitions for a station); and Morton. Before sanctioning passenger use, the Board of Trade Inspecting Officer required that turntables be installed at Bourn and Sleaford by 1 May 1872, and waiting sheds provided on the platforms at Bourn, Billingborough and Sleaford. The total cost was £107,020. Billingborough was the only station with two platforms.
caption: The former station building at Morton Road station
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