The originally planned route continued before Pyewipe, passing over the Joint Line and then under Lincoln in tunnel just south of the cathedral. A station east of the city centre was planned, with a spur connecting back towards Nottingham on the Midland Railway route, and another connecting to the MS&LR line towards Market Rasen, and a third to the GNR line towards Boston. The line would continue immediately south of the Market Rasen line and eastward over the Lincolnshire Wolds, with a junction near Stainfield as it crossed the GNR Louth to Bardney line. Continuing well to the north of Horncastle it would have crossed the East Lincolnshire Railway to the southwest of Alford, then joining that line's loop (at that time known as the Willoughby Railway) at Mumby Road on the GNR Sutton & Willoughby Railway, continuing to Sutton-on-Sea by means of running powers, entering the new docks close to Sutton-on-Sea station.
