Bridlington will mark a very special anniversary on Thursday, 28th July : 60 years to the day since its famous land trains started running!
To mark the occasion, the council’s coastal services team – who operate the land trains – have announced that, on that day only, all land train tickets on both routes in the town will cost just 60p each.
In addition, the Bridlington Excelsior Brass Band will play at Limekiln Lane station from 10.30am to 11.30 am.
The first land train in the town ran on 28 July, 1962 – the maiden voyage was by the Burlington Belle, a blue, red and yellow commercial tractor with two passenger-carrying trailers. Initially, just one train was in service.
The launch of the land train service followed expenditure of £659 on a Massey Ferguson tractor; £537 on the two ‘carriages’; £390 on a fibreglass body to represent an old-style railway engine; and £50 to fit springs!
In 1962, the borough engineer had to arrange the construction of a turning circle at Limekiln Lane and at Sewerby, and a concrete garage on the north side of the town to house the land train : all this cost £750.
The total cost to launch the new service was £4303, including a new roadway.
On the opening day, a single adult ticket cost 1/- (one shilling), and a child’s single fare was 6d.
The service proved so popular that the purchase of a second train was agreed later in 1962.
Councillor Mike Medini, portfolio holder for culture, leisure, libraries and customer service, said: “This will be a great occasion for Bridlington, celebrating one of the town’s most iconic attractions! It is an amazing achievement that this service has been running for 60 years and is still as popular as ever!”
Today, the land trains run on two routes: passengers can choose to travel on the South Promenade land train from the Park and Ride car park to Bridlington Spa, or on the north land train between East Riding Leisure Bridlington and Sewerby Hall and Gardens, stopping at Limekiln Lane and Bondville Model Village, running every 30 minutes.
For full details of the Land Trains, visit: https://eastridingcoastandcountryside.co.uk/coast/coastal-activities/
The council’s coastal services team are running a competition on their facebook page, and are asking for people to send in their pictures of themselves with the land trains, whether recent or older pictures. The competition will be run over four weeks, and the overall winner will receive a family pass for the land trains for the whole of 2023.
