Seathorne Bank Station recognised at Heritage Railway Association Awards

Three of the volunteers working on completion of Seathorne Bank take a breather. // Credit: Dave Enefer/LCLR.

Seathorne Bank Station, the new terminus of the Lincolnshire Coast Light Railway in Skegness, has been named runner-up in the Station of the Year category at the Heritage Railway Association Awards – often referred to as the “Railway Oscars.”

The station opened in June 2025, with the official ceremony led by Skegness Mayor Jimmy Brooks, and is located within the Skegness Water Leisure Park.

A key feature of the station is the restored Victorian-era Great Northern Railway coal office, which was carefully relocated from Skegness station. The building later served as offices for contracting firm Ellis Bros Ltd. from 1947 before being repurposed as part of the heritage railway’s latest development.

Seathorne Bank received its award at the ceremony on 7 March 2026. The overall Station of the Year title went to Oswestry station on the Cambrian Heritage Railways, while Blue Anchor station on the West Somerset Railwayand Sheringham station on the North Norfolk Railway were also runners-up.

The recognition continues a strong run of national awards for the Lincolnshire Coast Light Railway.

In 2023, the railway received the Morgan Award for Rolling Stock Preservation for the restoration of the historic “Queen Mary” carriage from the Nocton Estates Railway, once used to transport potatoes and sugar beet across the Lincolnshire Fens.

Earlier achievements include a runner-up award in 2021 for restoring the Simplex diesel locomotive “Fred”, a survivor of the 1953 North Sea Flood that later worked on sea defences and at local brickworks in Mablethorpe and Skegness.

The railway also shared a national award in 2009 for reopening its line alongside the Lincolnshire Wolds Railway, while restoration of a First World War ambulance van, later displayed at the Museum of Army Transport, earned both a grant and recognition from the Transport Trust.

John Chappell, spokesperson for the Lincolnshire Coast Light Railway, said the latest honour reflects the effort of everyone involved in the project.

He said: “This is an extraordinary accolade for everyone who made Seathorne Bank station possible. We were up against strong competition from the other stations shortlisted for the award and from the many excellent entries.”

Chappell also noted that the station has already received another accolade. Its construction – incorporating the historic building alongside a new platform, ramps, traditional lamps and benches – previously won the Federation of Master Builders’ Small Renovation Project award in the Yorkshire & Trent region.

The awards highlight the railway’s ongoing work to preserve and celebrate Lincolnshire’s railway heritage.