The line to Wainfleet was opened in August 1873 by the Wainfleet and Firsby Railway. This line was then extended to Skegness; the station opened on 28 July 1873. Skegness was dubbed "the Blackpool of the East Coast" or "Nottingham by the Sea", and has a mascot, the Jolly Fisherman, and a slogan - Skegness is so bracing - a reference to the chilly prevailing north-easterly winds that can and frequently do blow off the North Sea. A statue of The Jolly Fisherman now greets passengers as they arrive at the station when entering through the main entrance. Up until 1966 the railway station used to have a goods yard with sheds, however this area along with platform one was demolished between 1980 and 1983. This area is now used as a car park belonging to nearby offices. There was a Seacroft railway station located just outside Skegness but this has also now closed. The next station on the line is Havenhouse. In 2006, all locomotive hauled services to Skegness were halted due to the weight of the locos buckling the rails frequently. However this ban has since been lifted after Network Rail began a track renewal scheme which is now entering the final phase.
Station Masters
George Tuckerman 1881 - 1899
George Henry Dales 1900 - 1906
George Chambers 1906 - 1921
William Mountain 1921 - 1929
Herbert Joseph Osborn 1930 - 1943
W.E. Olle 1943 - 1953
A.H. Howden 1953 - ????
Services
As of December 2018 there is an hourly service to Nottingham via Grantham on weekdays and Saturdays, although certain peak services bypass Grantham and continue straight to Nottingham. There is also a return service from Derby to Skegness using a High Speed Train on summer Saturdays and Bank Holidays On summer Sundays some services start and terminate at Mansfield Woodhouse. In the winter a limited service operates.
Present day
The current station has toilet facilities with a baby change and a specialist service for the disabled, and a small refreshment/newsagent stall. There is 24-hour CCTV in operation at this station and there are staff patrolling the concourse area to give information when trains are due to arrive or depart. There is also a ticket office, staffed for part of the traffic day, and a self-service ticket vending machine has been installed; this also enables customers who have booked their tickets online to collect them outside office hours. Six platforms remain in place, however platforms 2 and 7 are now out of use and in practice only two platforms are used regularly.
Remodelling 2011
Network Rail and Lincolnshire County Council announced a major renovation programme costing £290,000, which has seen the derelict buildings demolished, the customer toilets being modernised and the gents relocated. There was much debate in Skegness about the old stationmaster's house being part of Skegness' heritage and should have been refurbished rather than demolished.
Local transport connections
Skegness railway station has good links to local public transport with a taxi rank at the front of the station.
Adjacent to the railway station is the town's bus station which has services in all directions, including frequent buses up the coast as far as Mablethorpe, Louth and Alford all year round.
