Robin Hood Train Line

For years and years, the coalfield areas of West Nottinghamshire and North East Derbyshire have been cut off from nation's railway system. This even included the town of Mansfield which, at the time, held the title of the largest urban area in Britain without a commuter railway station. Much of the line was already there serving the coal mines like Shirebrook and Whitwell. A small 2 mile stretch had to be re-built between Kirkby and Hucknall but the rest was there. Over time, the line has been built up in stages. Stage One linked Nottingham to Newstead, Stage Two ran up to Mansfield Woodhouse and Stage Three completed the line to Worksop. In Summer 1998, ...

Until four years ago Mansfield had the infamous title of being the largest town in England without a railway station. Since the Beeching cutbacks the train line in Mansfield had only been used for freight trains (mainly carrying coal for the local collieries). After a huge investment, involving the re-building of most of the stations and the construction of a new tunnel, the line was re-opened in stages. Now completed the Robin Hood line runs from Nottingham to Worksop (a total of 13 stations) with Mansfield about mid-way along the route. The trains run once an hour in each direction. At peak times and on Saturdays this is every 30 minutes. What is ...