Immingham (Eastern Jetty) railway station was a special excursion station built along the port's eastern jetty to cater for traffic to passenger ships on cruises to the North Cape, Norwegian Fjords and the Baltic.

The station was not much more than a long wooden platform along the jetty. It was only used for the transfer of the passengers and luggage from train to ship and vice versa so little in the way of facilities was needed or provided. The critical provision was numerous staff to guide travellers and handle their belongings.

Traffic The cruise ships sometimes berthed in the dock itself,SS Calgaric, with the lines to the Eastern Jetty curving under the camera Getty Images but usually they moored at the seaward side of the jetty where they were adjacent to all-First Class, Restaurant Car special trains. These operated along two routes: to and from and with a connecting carriage from Liverpool Central, and to and from , travelling either via and the Waleswood Curve or via the LDECR and . In both cases they then used the main line via .

Locomotives Originally these trains were hauled by Great Central Railway 4-6-0 locomotives but following grouping in 1922 Great Northern Railway motive power took many of them over.

Spectacle Visits by such ships drew crowds of sightseers and passed into local folklore, none more so than the vessel which was torpedoed in 1940 with heavy loss of life.

Closure The cruises terminated in 1939, just prior to the Second World War. Although the platform remained for some time, the station was effectively closed. One source suggests GCR passenger vessels plied between here, Antwerp, Hamburg and Rotterdam.

Afterlife By 2015 the tracks on the jetty had long been lifted, but the structure remained well used, handling oils, spirits, and liquid chemicals.

Liners known to have used Immingham SS Arandora Star SS Avon SS Calgaric SS Empress of Australia SS Orford SS Orontes

References

Sources

External links The Eastern Jetty and tracks on a 1932 OS map National Library of Scotland The station Rail Map Online The Eastern Jetty in modern times World Port Source The Eastern Jetty and tracks Britain from Above (free login needed to zoom) Cruise ship train arriving at the Eastern Jetty Getty Images