Regeneration and Development Panel Tuesday, 12th March, 2019 at 6.00 pm in the Council Chamber, Town Hall, Saturday Market Place, King's Lynn

Reports marked to follow on the Agenda and/or Supplementary Documents

1. King's Lynn to Hunstanton Railway (Pages 2 - 6)

Documents from the campaign organisation.

Contact Democratic Services Borough Council of King’s Lynn and West King’s Court Chapel Street King’s Lynn Norfolk PE30 1EX Tel: 01553 616394 Email: [email protected] Feature Reopenings

Putting right Norfolk’s £150m rail mistakeAgenda Item 8 f you need any evidence that British last persuaded the Government to relay the better transport to get to the nearest hospital at summer. This also prevents communities Railways deliberately drove many of its Hunstanton’s new campaign to rejoin the 12-mile missing link between Skipton and King’s Lynn. Second, there is little skilled work further along the coast being able to get to secondary routes out of business in the national network is a ‘how to do it’ lesson for Colne. for young people, who tend to leave the area as King’s Lynn without long journeys. 1960s, you need look no further than A rail revival in Norfolk as soon as soon as they leave school. A significant potential freight customer King’sI Lynn-Hunstanton, a once healthy and others, says HOWARD JOHNSTON practicable will defuse several potential time Day tripper sun and sand seekers are crucial would be the exploiter of the vast silica sand prosperous line that underpinned the North bombs. First, the number of residents aged over to the local economy, but they regularly turn deposits that are located near Dersingham, West Norfolk economy and did its job well. MPs and local politicians forever looking for on the doorstep to their winter retreat at 60 in North West Norfolk is a worrying third the main A149 single carriageway road into halfway along the old/new railway route. This It is now 49 years since the last trains ran, oxygen. At the same time, protesters are also and has hosted many above the national average, and they need gridlock for long periods throughout the would successfully address concerns from and locals are asking the same straightforward mobilising themselves to stop any new railway European heads of state). residents not wanting hundreds of noisy heavy question: How do we get the 15¼-mile railway ploughing through their back gardens. Poet Laureate Sir John Betjeman also made goods vehicles keeping them awake at night. back into one of the UK’s finest coastal resorts, The clear ambition is to get Norfolk County a short black-and-white film in 1962, which is This is part of a greater game plan to get Use of rail transport could, crucially, finance and how quickly? Council to include it in its definite transport readily available on YouTube. the reconstruction of much of the railway A petition that started on the worldwide plan. The King’s Lynn-Hunstanton Railway The project group has already been sensibly control of disused railways everywhere in the without having to resort to the taxpayer. change.org website by Ely-based campaigner Project team will then have done its job, and it advised to steer clear of such romantic county, even where they have been built over. There has been a quantum shift in the Georgina Turner in May 2017 has gained such can take its foot off the pedal. nostalgia, and study instead the tactics of momentum that the idea of reinstatement is We are talking about a line that was once successful groups such as SELRAP (the being actively discussed by Norfolk county closely associated with the Royal Family Skipton East Lancashire Railway Partnership), transport strategists, district planners, and (the intermediate station at Wolferton is which started a campaign that has at long

Class 31 D5664 (31237) prepares to depart Hunstanton on Friday July 27 1962. The station’s decline had begun two years earlier with the loss of direct services to London Liverpool Street. D OVENDEN/COLOUR RAIL. 2 Feature Reopenings

Hunstanton’s final passenger service is pictured at the Norfolk seaside resort on May 3 1969. COLOUR RAIL.

A signal and a single bullhead track length displayed on the site of Hunstanton station (now a vast public car park) are a powerful reminder that North West Norfolk needs its trains back. Only the old coal office building survived when the main buildings and platforms were obliterated in the early 1970s. HOWARD JOHNSTON.

although the A149 severs the railway on pub/restaurant close to it. the western edge of Snettisham and a large The line could go You can take your pick - it could go either 3 housing estate has been built immediately either side of the A149 side of the A149 road, and there are still two north of Heacham station. Immediately south ‘live’ Network Rail locations on the east and of Hunstanton, a roadway uses the alignment road, and there are still west sides of King’s Lynn where junctions to serve the Searles leisure and holiday homes could be installed. complex. Just before the former Hunstanton two ‘live’ Network Rail A western line would use the docks branch, attitude of local authorities over the last and footpaths. Sources close to the author terminus (now a council-owned car park), locations where junctions which despite being partly submerged in year. Transport policymaker Norfolk County have revealed that this is part of a somewhat King’s Lynn to Hunstanton planners have quite recently sanctioned a new undergrowth is still officially operational, Council has coincidentally turned pro-rail, greater game plan to get control of disused Key home on the site of the old level crossing, and a could be installed. and follow the Wash coastline a little more and at the end of January announced a railways everywhere in the county (even Closed line Hunstanton £350,000 study to acquire the trackbeds of where they have been built over), and identify Freight A two-car DMU waits at Hunstanton with a local stopping service to King’s the Hunstanton and Lynn-Fakenham routes detours around obstacles. Any new cycleway Network Rail Lynn on June 20 1967. Lifting of the double track section between King’s Lynn and Wolferton had commenced earlier in the year, turning the route into a with a view to converting them to cycleways would have space for co-habiting with trains Station Sedgeford at some future date. Closed Station 15-mile siding for its final two years of operation. COLOUR RAIL. Heacham To Wells and West Norfolk Borough Council, which is For clarity some lines/ Fakenham The revivalists responsible for granting planning approval, stations are omitted Diagrammatic map The King’s Lynn Hunstanton Railway soundly dismissed any railway revival in Snettisham Project group has a strong membership its 2008 Hunstanton town development not to scale that includes senior former railwaymen, document, describing it twice in a tiny 100- engineers, planners, local figures, and word panel as “unviable”. The concept is now N consultants. being actively discussed in open forum. Dersingham Latest revival moves go a long way The builders of the original King’s Lynn- to answering comments by former BR Hunstanton line went to some lengths to Board member, Strategic Rail Authority avoid heavy engineering. Despite some Wolferton executive director, and now Railfuture encroachment by new development since senior officer Chris Austin in his 2015 closure in 1969, there is plenty of open space To Melton book Disconnected!: Broken Links in Britain’s for a new route to be laid out to better serve Constable Rail Policy. He says: “Local support for the large-scale housing over the last 50 years. Hillington North Wootton reopening has been patchy and lacks and Until just a couple of years ago, little or no

drive and focus seen in other parts of the regard was given to encroachment. The worst King’s Lynn country where lines have been reopened. travesty is possibly the Lynnsport leisure Hunstanton appears condemned to remain complex, built across the trackbed just north Grimston Road remote from the rail network, forever held of Kings Lynn in 1991 when there were clearly To Sutton back by road congestion and peripherality.” other sites available. The intermediate stations Bridge Gayton Road As well as raising public awareness survive in relatively good order at North Middleton with open days and exhibitions, the group Wootton (private house) Wolferton (private Hardwick Road has an online petition, and is a source of homes and museum), Dersingham (builder’s East Winch advice for MPs, Norfolk County and West yard), Snettisham (private house), and South Lynn Norfolk borough council members and Heacham (guest house and private museum). officials. Its next ambition is to commission None is likely to be reused. a professional feasibility study. By-passes for the villages thankfully To Cambridge via Ely To Dereham resisted the temptation to adopt the trackbed,

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closely. This would reach the silica sand Trains and local services over the double-track deposits quite easily. The construction cost bottleneck Welwyn Viaduct on the East Coast An eastern line would make use of the might be in the region of Main Line south of Hitchin. Middleton Towers branch, which the short There is also scope to integrate with the remaining section of the old King’s Lynn- £100m to £150m - two proposed new March-Wisbech service. In Dereham line used by sand trains. From a the much longer term, if railways really are new junction, it would run due north past the thirds of the cost of the revived in a big way, the former King’s Lynn- Queen Elizabeth Hospital (the area’s largest Cambridge-St Ives guided Wisbech line could be fairly easy to reinstate employer with 2,400 staff), and new light over agricultural land from the old main line industrial and housing developments. The busway in 2011. junction at Watlington (formerly Magdalen line might then straddle the A149 to serve the Road), although there are problems with new major villages of Dersingham and Snettisham convenient for large outlying communities development blocking the Wisbech end. (one new station for both villages might such as Brancaster and Docking. This service would take some of the suffice), avoid a blockage at Heacham, and It can be hoped that service provision can pressure off the precarious A47 riverbank road reach a new terminus about a mile beyond. be incorporated into the next Great Northern between Wisbech and Guyhirn, and provide At the northern end, the vast area once passenger franchise, with through services through trains again to the East Midlands via occupied by Hunstanton station and its from London King’s Cross if electrification Peterborough (unavailable since 1968). sidings is now a vast asphalted car park, is possible. While breached here and there by which is heavily used in the summer. The The present Cambridge-King’s Lynn main development, the old 15¼-mile King’s Lynn- solution therefore might be new parkway-style line suffers from the short-sighted singling of Hunstanton line benefits from not having any platforms on what is currently a school sports the Littleport-Downham Market section in the major structures to replace; a new alignment field (relocation would need to be considered), 1980s. Train crews also blame much of the late would only require a single rail bridge over and being next to the A149 would also be running on the congestion caused by Virgin the A149 road.

The last Royal Trains ran to Wolferton station in Dr Beeching not to blame for closure 1966, and when Her Majesty The Queen travels by rail from London to Sandringham House every For the record, ‘Railway Doctor’ Richard A cursory glance at the rundown of the fast connections to London and East Anglia. Christmas, she now goes the last few miles from Beeching was not an enemy of North West route between 1960 and its total closure nine Mapping out the Hunstanton line virtually British Rail diverted 80% of the line’s revenue King’s Lynn by car. The ornate station is still maintained in immaculate condition, and the Norfolk, as the Hunstanton line was not years later reveals a startling list of actions that on the level meant that rapid progress could overnight by adjusting the accounts, and tore up private owner of the eastern platform building on his hit list. It features clearly on his 1963 RAIL readers might well associate with routes be made with construction, and it opened on welcomes summer visitors. HOWARD JOHNSTON. retention map. elsewhere in the UK that were dealt the same October 3 1862, just ten months after the first track to prevent excursions running. The closure decision was taken by Labour treatment at this time. sod had been dug, and also within its £80,000 Transport Minister Barbara Castle, after severe Hunstanton, a slightly genteel but high- budget. The profusion of new holiday homes morning, parking them up, and returning Fiennes and divisional manager The construction cost might be in the region operating economies and a nosedive reduction quality resort on the northwestern tip of made it a success from the outset. them south in succession at teatime. Claude Hankin. They oversaw a cost-cutting of £100 million to £150m (two thirds of the in service quality drove passengers away. She Norfolk facing The Wash, is a Victorian Rail users enjoyed the cheap day return Somehow, local stopping services and freight exercise to keep the line open, including cost of the Cambridge-St Ives guided busway refused a Social Railway grant because the version of the New Town. Pre-dating excursions from London and the East were slotted in between, making full use of pioneering minimum-cost ‘Paytrains’ and in 2011). For comparison, the Edinburgh- annual4 losses had risen to an unacceptable Skelmersdale, Stevenage, Newton Aycliffe, Midlands, and evening expresses that allowed the long passing loops. staff reductions. However, the BR board was Tweedbank Borders Railway (35¾miles) cost £40,000 a year by 1968 (almost £500,000 in Corby, Basildon, Milton Keynes, Telford, for long distance commuting even though it The decline began with the closure of the having none of it. £295m to reinstate (through rugged terrain) today’s money). Runcorn and Cumbernauld by many years, took three hours (ironically about the same Midland & Great Northern cross-country Dieselisation of most East Anglian local back in 2016. The new 8¾-mile Norwich British Railways had actively turned away it was a table-top creation to stimulate new as today, including the car/journey to King’s route from Leicester to King’s Lynn (and onto services had taken place in 1955 with the Distributor Road, part of which opened at the the holidaymakers that were the lifeblood of housing and prosperity. Lynn), and many of them included restaurant Norwich and Great Yarmouth) on February arrival of two-car Derby ‘Lightweight’ DMUs, end of last year, has cost £179m so far, and the the King’s Lynn-Hunstanton by cutting out It began when wealthy local landowner cars. Pre-war, there were more than a dozen 28 1959, cutting off a host of important which were declared non-standard in 1968 final bill might be over £200m. through trains. They also diverted 80% of its Henry Styleman LeStrange speculatively services at weekends, justifying platform connections at a stroke, particularly the East and withdrawn in favour of equally clapped- New railways need not be expensive. revenue overnight by adjusting the accounts, built the Golden Lion hotel (still in business) extensions, expanded terminus buildings, and Midlands. out Gloucester RC&W Class 100 units The last line to be completed by the Great tore up track to prevent excursions running, on windswept land close to the cliffs. He extra carriage sidings added. It is wrong to state that the growth of redundant from closures in Scotland. Their Northern Railway across Lincolnshire was and allowed all the stations to become needed business, and building a railway was In the peak summer season in the 1930s, private motor car use, and road coaches, were internal condition was memorably deplorable; from Bellwater Junction (on the Boston- vandalised ruins by laying off staff in favour of a quick route to growth. He enlisted partners the line (of which only the first six-and-a- wholly responsible for the rapid decline in works attention was possibly at a minimum Grimsby main line) to Woodhall Junction conductor guards. to promote the Lynn & Hunstanton Railway half miles north from Lynn to Wolferton business. The axing of through services from because it was known they would soon also (east of Lincoln) in 1913. Peter Wakefield, vice-chairman of Railfuture Company, which incorporated in 1861, a year were double track), was traversed by a dozen London Liverpool Street from November become surplus and making their own one- Similar to King’s Lynn-Hunstanton, it was East Anglia, has told campaigners: “It’s safe to before his early death at just 47. locomotive-hauled excursions in a single day, 1960, officially to use the rolling stock way journey to the breaker’s yard. 15 miles long, but double track throughout. say that in 1969 we threw away an asset that The ambition was to link up with the Great so many that the operating staff developed elsewhere, was the turning point, because The lifting of the double track section Including the purchase of land, constructing today could be worth £150m.” Eastern Railway at King’s Lynn to provide a system of sending them all north in the holidaymakers now had to change at King’s between King’s Lynn and Wolferton in spring five intermediate stations with freight sidings, Lynn for an inferior all-stations DMU. They 1967 effectively turned the line into a 15-mile a number of bridges and level crossings, the might not choose to do that twice. siding, and there was a simultaneous loss of planning-to-opening was achieved in just Compare this contemporary view of the windswept site of Hunstanton station (now a soulless car As noted author and researcher Stanley passing loops, signalboxes (left in situ with under three years. The cost was £215,000 park) with those found in books, on websites (and on pages 66-67). On summer weekends in the Jenkins explains, over 210,000 passengers unsightly broken windows and rusty levers), (£24m today). R 1950s, thousands of day trippers – more than the town’s entire population – crowded the platforms, were logged as arriving at Hunstanton station although a couple of crossings optimistically ■ The opinions in this article are entirely those of and the 20-plus departures included train formations of up to 13 coaches. HOWARD JOHNSTON. in 1960, and the ticket office also issued went over to automatic half barrier operation. the contributing writer, with special thanks to Peter 44,000 tickets to local people heading south. Further signs of dereliction and disinterest Risebrow and Stanley Jenkins (author, the Lynn & But then the rules were changed. were the ripping out of the carriage stabling Hunstanton Railway, Oakwood Press). Was BR Eastern Region management facilities at Hunstanton, leaving only one deliberately massaging the figures with a track into a central platform. Even the once sinister motive? New accounting procedures prestigious Sandringham Hotel, just beyond slashed the official annual patronage by the end of the buffer stops, and bought by the About the author over 80% by disallowing arrivals. Why local council after the war, was bulldozed. Howard Johnston, Contributing Writer were revenues logged at Liverpool Street, Closure day was May 3 1969 - right at the Howard’s long and varied media career Cambridge or Bedford ignored, when it was start of the summer season - and in common has included spells with national clear that they were also generating business with other lines across the country, efforts by newspapers and as an editor and for North West Norfolk? Blame certainly local groups to run the line could not keep publisher. A rolling stock owner, he is a renowned transport author, and does not rest with ER general manager Gerry pace with demolition contracts. has written for every issue of RAIL.

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Philip Haigh Getting to the heart of the matter Contributing Writer Analysis [email protected]

The end of the line in Wisbech, back in 2009. The Wisbech-March route has been touted by CBT as Rail reopenings: where is one ripe for reopening. RICHARD CLINNICK. the money coming from? Wisbech lies at the end of a closed In London, trains have returned eight-mile branch line from March. A Campaign for Better Transport report has to the Dalston route that British Rail Its station closed in 1968, although identified routes that could benefit from closed in 1986. But that reopening the line lasted longer, carrying pet dates back to 2010. food until 2000. restoration of passenger services, but The Department for Transport The line’s track is heavily funding remains a problem to be solved. is now backing East West Rail overgrown in places, with some to return trains to the missing level crossings now hidden under PHILIP HAIGH examines the problems and closed parts of the Oxford- tarmac. Nothing remains of the Cambridge route. It has a hefty town’s three stations, with one transform communities. For both to those jobs, just as the Borders £1.1 billion price tag for its Bicester- subsumed by the pet food factory passengers and freight, rail is a line in Scotland helps feed (and was Bedford section (RAIL 859), which and the others by housing. high-quality national transport justified on) Edinburgh’s need for is a mix of mothballed and open Despite this industry and the network that can give people workers. But that risks taking the tracks. Nevertheless, it’s making surrounding fields of crops, access to a wealth of social and life from towns such as Wisbech, progress with a public inquiry Wisbech is reckoned to be economic opportunities. It can rather than injecting new spirit. opening in February.

economically5 poor in terms of support local economies; expanding Talk of reopening rail lines Meanwhile, in Scotland, work skills and access to jobs by public labour markets and encouraging captures headlines from time to to make the case for returning transport, as well as having above- new investment and development. time, but there’s very little progress trains to the mothballed tracks average youth unemployment. It can help tackle regional in returning passenger trains to to Levenmouth (RAIL 843) grinds Local business talks of skills inequalities, making economically disused rail corridors, or even to forward with another round of shortages. disadvantaged parts of the country lines that already exist but only reports being compiled. A new report from the Campaign more attractive for investment.” carry freight. Scotland has enjoyed The area is deprived and would for Better Transport (CBT) suggests Wisbech lies 38 miles by rail some success, but that’s beginning doubtless benefit from its residents that reopening this and other from Cambridge and 23 miles from to be history with neither Transport being able to reach jobs further towns’ rail links could help. Its Peterborough, both of them centres Scotland nor the country’s current afield, perhaps in Edinburgh. But introduction says: “Reopening of major activity and employment. government having ever authorised the latest report suggests there’s no railways has the potential to A rail link could help bring people a line’s reopening. evidence of rail freight demand for the branch, which weakens the case social exclusion, create skilled jobs, open tracks, and equates to £23m passengers. for reopening. There is also a hint invest in local economies, create per mile. Yet years of campaigning in that ScotRail’s timetables may leave integrated transport networks, Which makes it more likely that south east Northumberland has CBT’s reopenings no space to serve the branch as they create healthier towns and cities, any expansion plan needs a large brought regular passenger services concentrate on existing stations. bolster rail freight, and reduce pot of money rather than a new to Ashington no closer. Amid Oxford-Cowley: Upgrade four miles of freight Pelaw-Ferryhill: Reopen 18 miles of Shirebrook-Ollerton: Upgrade six miles Across Britain, CBT suggests environmental impact. methodology to prioritise which general agreement on the benefits line, open stations at Science Park and Cowley and the mothballed/dismantled Leamside of freight line, open stations at Ollerton, there’s potential to add 343 miles This cut the 224 down to 13 for lines to reopen. And that’s money of rail services to the area, no one consider reopening subsequent 16 miles to Princes Line, open stations at Washington North, Edwinstow and Warsop. to the passenger rail network (166 which there was a clear case and 20 not only to reopen them, but to appears willing to commit money. Risborough. Washington South, Penshaw, Fencehouses Matlock-Buxton: Reopen 12 miles and open miles of reopened route and 177 that needed further development cope with any ongoing subsidy Department for Transport could find Totton-Hythe-Fawley: Upgrade ten miles of freight and Durham Belmont. station at Bakewell. miles of freight lines upgraded to or a change in circumstance (such if operating costs outstrip fare it, but prefers that it comes from line, open stations at Marchwood, Hythe and Fawley. Liverpool-Skelmersdale: Reopen three Walsall-Water Orton: Upgrade 15 miles of passenger status), and open 72 as new housing proposals) to revenue. local sources that have none. Southall-Brentford: Upgrade four miles of freight miles and open Skelmersdale. freight line, open stations at Sutton Park, Sutton stations to bring 500,000 more strengthen their case. On the basis of the gross value And that’s a problem for which line, open station at Brentford. Poulton-le-Fylde-Fleetwood: Reopen six Coldfield Town, Streetly and Aldridge. people within walking distance of CBT suggests the first group added (GVA) benefit of rail of CBT’s report provides no answer. Henbury loop, Bristol: Upgrade six miles of freight miles and open Thornton and Fleetwood Birmingham Camp Hill: Upgrade six miles of a train. could be delivered in 2020-25 £10bn (a 2015 figure), CBT has Spending on rail reopenings is line, open stations at Henbury, North Filton and stations. freight line and open stations at Moseley, Kings It says: “If rail’s potential is to for £1.2bn-£1.8bn, and the estimated that expanding the rail entirely discretionary and depends Ashley Down. Skipton-Colne: Reopen 12 miles and Heath, Balsall Heath and Hazelwell. be realised, then a new approach second group in 2025-35 for network could add between £155m on DfT’s largesse. There’s no sense Okekhampton-Tavistock-Bere Alston: Reopen 25 stations at Earby and West Craven Walsall-Birmingham: Upgrade seven miles of to reopenings is needed. This £3.5bn-£4.6bn. It uses a mix of and £245m GVA. Up to 1,600 that DfT would be worse off for miles, open Tavistock station. Parkway. freight line, open stations at James Bridge and should take as its starting point early project estimates and final railway jobs could result from the not spending, and therefore little Portishead-Bristol: Upgrade four miles of freight Hirwaun-Aberdare: Reopen four Willenhall. that there is a case for enlarging costs from projects such as Stirling- expansion. incentive to put money towards line and reopen another three miles, open stations at mothballed miles and station at Hirwaun. Stoke-Leek: Reopen mothballed 12 miles, open the rail network. It requires a Alloa and Oxford-Bicester to arrive Prominent in CBT’s list are lines rail. Air pollution might, for Pill and Portishead. Aberbeeg-Abertillery: Extend Ebbw Vale stations at Endon, Stockton Brook and Leek. new methodology to identify and at its costs of £9 million to £16m that today carry freight trains or example, load heavier costs on Stratford-Long Marston-Honeybourne: Upgrade line by two miles. Low Moor-Thornhill (West Yorkshire): prioritise those projects which bring per mile. only have passenger trains during health authorities, but proving a three miles of freight line and reopen a further six Caernarfon-Bangor: Reopen seven miles Reopen seven miles, open stations at the biggest benefits to the country. However, the £1.1bn for East diversions. They should be among link between higher DfT spending miles. and station at Caernarfon. Oakenshaw, Cleckheaton and Heckmondwike. Crucially, it should be able to draw West Rail covers reopening 12 the easiest to add to the passenger to encourage a switch from cars to March-Wisbech; Reopen mothballed eight miles, Beddau-Pontyclun: Reopen three Harrogate-Ripon-Northallerton: Reopen 18 on new investment to deliver an miles of mothballed railway and network, and should relatively trains and lower health spending open station at Wisbech. mothballed line and stations at Talbot miles, open Ripon station. expansion programme.” upgrading a further 35 miles of easily bring more trains to more remains difficult. Bedford-Sandy-Cambridge: Reopen 27 miles, Green/Llanstrisant and Beddau. Blyth and Tyne: Upgrade 16 miles of CBT’s research found 224 projects Then there’s the rail industry’s open station at Cambourne. Dunfermline-Alloa: Upgrade 14 miles freight line, open stations at Ashington, worthy of further consideration. “For both passengers and freight, rail is a reputation for overspending and Cambridge-Haverhill: Reopen 17 miles and of freight line and open stations at Northumberland Park, Seaton Delaval, It then filtered these for broad its inability to deliver major projects consider further nine miles to Sudbury, open stations Kincardine, Valleyfield and Cairneyhill. Newsham for Blyth, Bebside, Bedlington and viability before subjecting those that high-quality national transport network that without major disruption. It doesn’t at Granta Park, Linton and Haverhill. Leuchars-St Andrews: Reopen five miles Woodhorn Museum. passed to further tests, based on make rail a safe place to spend Leicester-Burton-on-Trent: Upgrade 31 miles of and open station at St Andrews. Stockton-Ferryhill: Upgrade 13 miles of line social, economic and environmental can give people access to a wealth of social scarce resources. freight line, open stations at Swadlincote, Ashby, Thornton-Leven: Reopen five mothballed used by freight and diverted passenger trains, factors that examined their and economic opportunities.” Fix this and there’ll be more Coalville and Leicester East. miles and open station at Leven. open Stillington station. potential to support new housing, chance of a welcome reception for tackle regional disparity, decrease Campaign for Better Transport the lines in CBT’s latest report. R Source: Campaign for Better Transport.

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GBRf adds New approach needed to unlock key rail reopenings intermodal train GB Railfreight launched a new intermodal service to Felixstowe Andrew Roden February 5, CBT argues that 33 require a “proactive and strategic implementation process; a new which encompasses larger and nationally significant proposals are tackle regional inequalities; reduce on January 23, running from schemes could add 343 miles to approach” to expanding the rail assessment of value for money more complex schemes such as being considered. carbon emissions and air pollution; Birch Coppice in the Midlands. Contributing Writer the passenger rail network (166 network. taking in direct and indirect reopenings. In those cases, development and create better and healthier The train left the Midlands [email protected] miles of reopened route and 177 This would include a clear benefits; and a firm commitment It argues that local authorities and implementation should places to live.” at 1414, arriving at the Suffolk miles of freight-only converted to national policy on reopenings, to expanding rail (including freight and sub-national transport bodies be overseen by the DfT. Value RMT General Secretary Mick port at 2014. It will run five Mothballed and freight railways passenger standards), generate up setting out the social, economic capacity). should have the ability to formally for money, meanwhile, should Cash supported the programme, days per week initially, and will could be brought back in to use to 20 million additional passenger and environmental benefits of CBT has identified 33 recommend reopening and new “be judged as an investment in saying: “For years politicians have be formed of 33 platforms. and others reopened at a cost of journeys per year, create 72 an enlarged network; charging schemes which met its criteria rail schemes for adoption as part national infrastructure with direct been talking up the benefits of GBRf Managing Director around £4 billion to £6.4bn, but stations, and bring more than the National Infrastructure for investment based on their of a national programme, and and indirect benefits being used to reopening lines but few reach John Smith said the train is generate social and economic 500,000 people within walking Commission with identifying where viability and social, economic and that the detailed development assess overall value”. construction due to a lack of a taking boxes previously bound benefits of up to £12bn in Gross distance of a railway station. new and reopened lines would environmental benefits (see panel). of priority schemes should be CBT Chief Executive Darren national approach and public from Hams Hall, which in turn Added Value over 50 years. Routes cited include March- support national objectives across These in turn are split into two undertaken by working groups Shirley said: “Expanding the investment. creates additional capacity for a That’s according to new analysis Wisbech, Totton-Hythe-Fawley, and transport, housing, geographic categories: Phase 1 for schemes involving the Department for railways would transform the “That needs to change because customer at the original site. by Campaign for Better Transport the Ashington, Blyth and Tyne. balance and low-carbon growth; which could be implemented Transport (DfT), Network Rail and opportunities for people living in there is an overwhelming case (CBT). In The Case for Expanding However, it warns that bringing a national development pool of by 2025 (mostly conversion of local authorities. some of the most deprived areas for a Government-backed Charity sleep out the Rail Network, published on such a programme to reality will priority projects with a streamlined freight-only lines); and Phase 2 Network Rail’s Governance of the country, giving them greater national programme of public rail for Railway Investment Projects access to employment and services reopenings to help meet the huge raises £25,000 (GRIP) process should be reformed and providing a much-needed economic, environmental and More than 150 volunteers CBT’s 33 Phase 1 and 2 reopenings to address the speed, cost and boost to local economies. social challenges facing the UK. slept at Liverpool Lime fragmentation of the current “The Government should invest These reopenings will ultimately Street, Manchester Piccadilly, Scheme Phase Type of project Length (miles) Scheme Phase Type of project Length (miles) system, and a streamlined in a nationally led programme of pay for themselves via the benefits Birmingham New Street and South East Yorkshire and the Humber process for the development of expansion of the railway to help they generate for society.” London Bridge stations on Oxford-Cowley 1 Freight-only conversion 4 Low Moor-Thornhill 2 Reopening 7 projects should be adopted where disadvantaged communities and @AndyRoden1 January 31, to raise money for Totton-Hythe-Fawley 1 Freight-only conversion 10 Harrogate-Ripon-Northallerton 2 Reopening 18 the Railway Children charity. Volunteers included Brentford-Southall Crossrail Link (Brentford Docks Line) 1 Freight-only conversion 4 In March 1997, a Class 56 crosses Twenty Foot Drain and the B1101 North East directors from Network Rail, South West (near March) with a pet food train. The March-Wisbech route is one Ashington, Blyth and Tyne 1 Freight-only conversion 16 train companies, rail industry Henbury Loop (North Bristol) 1 Freight-only conversion 6 suggested for reopening by Campaign for Better Transport. JOHN RUDD. Stockton-Ferryhill 2 Freight-only conversion 13 partners and politicians. The Okehampton-Tavistock-Bere Alston 2 Reopening 25 ‘sleep-out’ was sponsored Portishead-Bristol 2 Reopening/freight only 4 freight only, 3 reopening Pelaw-Ferryhill 2 Mothballed/reopening 18 by Virgin Trains and raised Stratford-Long Marston-Honeybourne 2 Reopening/freight only 3 freight only, 6 reopening North West £25,000. East of Skelmersdale-Liverpool 2 Reopening 3 March-Wisbech 1 Reopening/mothballed 8 Poulton-le-Fylde-Fleetwood 2 Reopening 6 Bolton station to Bedford-Sandy-Cambridge 2 Reopening 27 6 Skipton-Colne 2 Reopening 12 gain £1m facelift Haverhill-Cambridge 2 Reopening 17 Wales A £1 million upgrade of Bolton East Midlands Hirwaun-Aberdare 1 Mothballed 4 station has been announced Leicester-Burton-upon-Trent 1 Freight only conversion 31 by Network Rail, Northern and Aberbeeg-Abertillery 2 Reopening 2 TransPennine Express. Shirebrook-Ollerton 1 Freight only conversion 6 Caernarfon-Bangor 2 Reopening 7 By the end of this spring, Matlock-Buxton 2 Reopening 12 Beddau-Pontyclun 2 Reopening/mothballed 3 new seating and signage will West Midlands be fitted, toilets and waiting Scotland Walsall-Water Orton 1 Freight-only conversion 15 rooms revamped, pigeon Camp Hill chords 1 Freight only conversion 6 Dunfermline-Alloa 1 Freight-only conversion 14 netting fitted, and underused buildings on Platforms 4 and 5 Walsall-Wolverhampton 1 Freight-only conversion 7 St Andrews-Leuchars 2 Reopening/new alignment 5 refurbished for potential retail, Thornton-Leven 2 Reopening/mothballed 5 Leek-Stoke 2 Reopening 12 enterprise and community use. Moorhouse is new RSSB chairman RAIB safety digest highlights RHTT risks Barbara Moorhouse is the new MoD trains return to Wensleydale Line The Rail Accident Investigation This led to the wheelset pushing partially applied. chairman of RSSB (previously The first Ministry of Defence train to serve the Wensleydale Line since March Branch (RAIB) has issued a safety the rails apart, resulting in high RAIB says operators and Rail Safety and Standards 3 2015 arrived on January 30, operated by GB Railfreight. With 66723 digest following a derailment of lateral forces on the stock rails maintainers of RHTTs should closely Board). Chinook and 66737 Lesia top and tailing, the train ran to Redmire, a railhead treatment train (RHTT) which in turn overloaded the rail monitor the condition of wheels and Moorhouse is a non-executive where military vehicles were loaded and taken south to Warminster. at Dunkeld and Birnam station on fastenings and, in some places, braking systems when operating in director of Balfour Beatty, It is hoped that more of this traffic will run in the future. STEVE DAVIS. October 29 2018. the wooden sleepers. This derailed low-adhesion conditions. Microgen and Agility Trains. Its investigation found that the the leading wheelset of the bogie, It adds that operators of freight She is also a trustee of Guy’s leading wheelset of the trailing shortly followed by the trailing trains and other specialist trains and St Thomas’ charity. bogie of the leading wagon began wheelset. They ran derailed for derived from freight wagons to slide rather than rotate, creating approximately 100 metres before should undertake suitable roll-by SWR donates to a large wheel flat on both wheels rerailing at another set of points. examinations on departure from and creating ‘false flanges’. RAIB’s investigation found that yards to detect non-rotating homeless charity When passing over points south the handbrake interlock which wheels; that maintainers of freight South Western Railway has of the station, the ‘false flange’ prevents air brakes from being wagons should have a process in made a £1,000 donation to on the left-hand wheel became released on the leading wagon had place to control the isolation of top up the Clapham Junction trapped between the stock and been isolated - but it is not clear handbrake interlocks on freight station team’s festive charity switch rails. This caused the outside why or by whom. Because the wagons; and that staff preparing shoebox collection. face of the wheel to run along the handbrake interlock was isolated, freight trains for departure should The Ace of Clubs charity gauge face of the stock rail while there was nothing to stop the check that handbrakes are fully provides a range of services for the right-hand wheel was pushed driver driving the RHTT with the released and do not place sole local homeless people. up against the opposite stock rail. handbrake accidentally left on or reliance on handbrake interlocks.

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