{"id":52586,"date":"2025-04-26T16:49:10","date_gmt":"2025-04-26T16:49:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/52586\/"},"modified":"2025-04-26T16:49:10","modified_gmt":"2025-04-26T16:49:10","slug":"can-a-23000000-train-upgrade-save-britains-skegvegas-news-uk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/52586\/","title":{"rendered":"Can a \u00a323,000,000 train upgrade save Britain’s ‘SkegVegas?’ | News UK"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\"\"
\n\t\tSkegness then and now: The British seaside town was once a holiday hotspot in the 1930s, 1950s and 1990s, but has since seen a decline (Pictures: Getty\/Shutterstock)<\/p>\n

Salty cones of chips, the smell of the sea, children laughing and screaming in the water, the tinny music from the merry-go-round.<\/p>\n

These are core elements of any trip to a British seaside resort, and the town of Skegness on the Lincolnshire<\/a> coast is no exception.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also no exception to the trend of decline over decades, as air travel became more accessible and holidaymakers started going abroad instead of staying at home.<\/p>\n

More recently, the tourism<\/a> industry was hit by the coronavirus<\/a> pandemic and resulting lockdowns, followed not long after by the cost of living<\/a> crisis and rising inflation.<\/p>\n

Despite that, staycations are having a bit of a moment, and coastal towns like Skegness will no doubt want to make the most of it \u2013 but years of decline have taken a toll on Britain\u2019s seaside hotspots.<\/p>\n

Millions of pounds have been pledged to fund various developments in the town, the latest of which is a \u00a323 million project by East Midlands Railway to improve its trains.<\/p>\n

\t\t\"The
\n\t\tBritons would flock to its beaches in the 1950s, taking advantage of the sea air and warm sunshine (Photo by Fox Photos\/Hulton Archive\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

\t\t\"from
\n\t\tSkegness\u2019s Blue Flag beach has an excellent score for water quality (Picture: Shutterstock\/John W Harrison)<\/p>\n

These new Class 170 trains should provide a more comfortable way to travel to and from Skegness \u2013 but will holidaymakers enjoy what they find once they arrive?<\/p>\n

Justin Tai moved to Skegness not long after the Covid-19 lockdown, and currently works as an entertainer at the town\u2019s aquarium.<\/p>\n

Before that he worked at Disneyland Paris for 20 years, meaning he knows a thing or two about keeping the kids happy while on holiday.<\/p>\n

While he hasn\u2019t lived in the area long enough to have witnessed long-term changes, he said there are \u2018lots of little projects\u2019 on the go right now which are improving the town.<\/p>\n

\t\t\"Open
\n\t\tKeen swimmers are seen diving into the open air swimming pool at Butlins, Skegness in 1936. (Photo by Borthwick Institute\/Heritage Images\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

\t\t\"Man
\n\t\tThe slogan for the Butlins\u2019 pool in the 1990s was \u2018Our true intent is all for your delight\u2019, which was borrowed from Midsummers Night\u2019s Dream (Photo by Barry\/In Pictures via Getty)<\/p>\n

A new Travelodge is being built right by the aquarium, and the Embassy Theatre, which has been open since 1926, is getting a major makeover due to be completed this month.<\/p>\n

Justin, 43, told Metro<\/strong>: \u2018Skegness definitely needs a lot more trains bringing people in, and the train station is quite small, so we definitely want more people coming in.<\/p>\n

\u2018A lot of the accommodation needs to be a bit better. There are some lovely places, the Savoy is very nice, but I think we need nice places for people to stay in.\u2019<\/p>\n

One of the major drawbacks for Skegness is that it is very seasonal, with most of its businesses and attractions winding down considerably or closing completely outside of the summer months.<\/p>\n

\t\t\"Vulgar
\n\t\tJustin Tai works as an entertainer at Skegness Aquarium (Picture: Justin Tai)<\/p>\n

\u2018Living here is very difficult off-season, wages go down but rents are going up,\u2019 Justin said. <\/p>\n

\u2018If only there were enough going on during the rest of the year to keep it open \u2013 people here are astonished when I tell them Disneyland Paris doesn\u2019t close for winter, it\u2019s open every day of the year.<\/p>\n

\u2018Maybe the people who have lived here for so long think that\u2019s the way to do things and they won\u2019t change, but I think more people coming in and more stuff going on would improve things.<\/p>\n

\u2018I think it\u2019s on the up because they\u2019re doing work towards making things better. A lot of places struggled after Covid but there seems to be a positive attitude.\u2019<\/p>\n

\t\t\"Families
\n\t\tFamilies sit outside their huts at Butlin\u2019s Holiday Camp, Skegness in 1939 (Photo by Felix Man\/Picture Post\/Hulton Archive\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

\t\t\"Campers
\n\t\tCampers at Butlins in Skegness are seen waiting for their coach home in the 1990s (Photo by Barry\/In Pictures via Getty Images Images)<\/p>\n

One thing Justin would like to see in Skegness is a gay bar, after the area\u2019s first pride event, East Coast Pride, was held last year \u2013 and would prefer to see more live entertainment over arcades.<\/p>\n

It doesn\u2019t help that Skegness has a bit of a rubbish reputation, being ranked bottom in Which? Magazine\u2019s 2023 poll of Britain\u2019s seaside resorts.<\/p>\n

The town was given low scores for its scenery and noise levels, and two stars for its food and drink, shopping and attractions.<\/p>\n

But there is now more for families to do along the seafront, with the Fairy Dell paddling pool providing a safe place for young children to explore the water, for example. It\u2019s free to visit and was refurbished last year, Justin said.<\/p>\n

\t\t\"SKEGNESS
\n\t\tSkegness was hit hard during Covid, with its bars, seaside attractions and pubs all closing, which had a huge impact on the local economy (Picture: NB PRESS LTD)<\/p>\n

\t\t\"Skegness,
\n\t\tIts famous aquarium was also closed during Covid-19, but has since reopened (Picture: Shutterstock \/ Elizabeth Iris Maher)<\/p>\n

Other free attractions include The Village Church Farm, which is Lincolnshire\u2019s only open air museum and takes visitors back in time to see agricultural life through the ages.<\/p>\n

The water quality at Skegness is classified by the Environment Agency as excellent, the highest possible rating, and has been since 2021 \u2013 if you\u2019re brave enough to get in the chilly English sea.<\/p>\n

But what does Justin really think of Skegness \u2013 and what would he say to convince someone to visit?<\/p>\n

\u2018I honestly think it\u2019s a lovely seaside town,\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n

\u2018It\u2019s got a very lovely sandy beach, there\u2019s lots of stuff to do even if it\u2019s raining, and there are lots of places to visit like the nature reserve for walks.<\/p>\n

\u2018There are plenty of nice drinking holes with live music and entertainment.<\/p>\n

\u2018I would say give it a go and have some cocktails in Olivia\u2019s with me.\u2019<\/p>\n

\t\t\"Boy
\n\t\tA boy is seen selling seafood in the bar at the Butlins holiday camp, Skegness (Picture: Barry Lewis In Pictures via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

\t\t\"Union
\n\t\tUnion Jack plastic hats were a must-have during its prime in the 1990s (Picture: Getty)<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\tUps and downs, mostly downs: my teenage trips to Skegness\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Growing up in the middle of rural Lincolnshire there weren\u2019t many options for entertainment, so as soon as I was old enough I would take the rickety train to Skegness with friends.<\/p>\n

The ticket was cheap, and I\u2019ve always loved the seaside, even if I\u2019d never swim in the sea \u2013 too cold for me!<\/p>\n

I have fond, sweaty memories of being crammed onto the train, standing room early, on one of the rare British summer days where we actually had sunshine.<\/p>\n

\t\t\"\"
\n\t\tKatie as a teenager during her heady days in Skegness (Picture: Katie Boyden)<\/p>\n

It would be so busy the ticket inspector couldn\u2019t make their rounds through the carriages \u2013 let\u2019s hope I\u2019m no longer on the hook for fare evasion.<\/p>\n

But while Skegvegas offered a change of scenery, there wasn\u2019t actually all that much to do if you were a skint teenager.<\/p>\n

We\u2019d hang out on the beach and play tinny music on our phones, yes, spending our meagre cash on dinky doughnuts or a cone of chips.<\/p>\n

\t\t\"North
\n\t\tNatureland Seal Sanctuary was by far my favourite place in Skegness to visit (Picture: Shutterstock\/Steve Travelguide)<\/p>\n

But I never had the money to go to the amusement arcades or theme parks \u2013 although I do have fond memories of visiting the seal sanctuary many times.<\/p>\n

I understand I wasn\u2019t the target market for Skeg back then \u2013 they were focusing on families with young kids, or older nostalgia-driven day-trippers, with a bit more cash in their pockets.<\/p>\n

But I could clearly see that the town was looking rough around the edges back in the late 2000s and early 2010s. I fear things haven\u2019t got much better since then.<\/p>\n

Getting people to Skegness on a more pleasant train journey will no doubt be a boost for the local economy \u2013 but if cash isn\u2019t spent bringing the town up to date, visitors will have no reason to return.<\/p>\n

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk<\/a>.<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

For more stories like this, <\/strong>check our news page<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

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