News from the East Anglian Branch of Railfuture, Edited by Martin Thorne and Jerry Alderson.
Railfuture News Snippets 176 - 21/07/2008
The branch has recently renewed its Wisbech campaign, which has proved to be opportune as Cambridgeshire County Council is creating a list of projects to include in the TIF bid as a part of the Congestion Charge plan. Railfuture will be presenting its proposal face-to-face to the leader of the council, Jill Tuck. Branch chairman Peter wakefield has also presented the proposals to Mike Salter, Transport Lead at EEDA, Wendy Otter, Transport Development Officer at Fenland District Council, the Town Clerks at Wisbech Town Council and March Town Council, Cllr Mark Archer of Manea PC and Fenland District councils. It has also been sent to FCC and NXEA for information and to Patrick Hallgate of Network Rail.
Peter Wakefield and branch vice chairman Peter Lawrence recently visited Yarmouth Borough Council planners to discuss the outer harbour project (which is well under construction) and rail freight provision.
The Mid-Norfolk Railway has asked Railfuture to mention its 'Sponsor A Sleeper Appeal' to reopen the line to passengers from Dereham to Hoe. The Council have prioritised this, and since January 2008 Kev Carty has been managing the appeal, obtaining sponsorship for 95 sleepers. Details on http://www.mnr.org.uk/help/sleeper. The MNR has a separate appeal for its passing loop at Thuxton - see http://www.mnr.org.uk/help/passingloop.
RAIL ROUTES
National Express East Anglia operate additional trains for Lowestoft Seafront air show
Keywords: [NationalExpressEastAnglia]
Continuing the practice from previous years, when trains ran under the 'one' brand, National Express East Anglia will be running extra trains from Norwich to Lowestoft for the annual air show and extra trains back to Norwich in the late afternoon. This will be on both days of the show: Thursday 24th and Friday 25th July 2008.
Unfortunately the long single track sections plus signalling restrictions and limited rolling stock with RETB means thst no extra services will be provided on the East Suffolk Line from Ipswich to Lowestoft.
NXEA regularly runs additional trains for such events. The last was the Southend Airshow on the bank holiday weekend of Sunday 25th and Monday 26th May 2008.
PRESERVED RAILWAYS
Mid-Norfolk Railway permanent way complete renewal and widening of Hoe level crossing
Keywords: [MidNorfolkRailway]
As reported in Snippets 175, the Mid-Norfolk Railway's advance northwards achieved the milestone of reaching Hoe level crossing on 4th May. The works train returned on Saturday 19th July. Unlike preivous ventures north, these trips were not for spot resleepering, but to compeletely relay the level crossing at Hoe, where the road is being widened. The train carried track materials to enable this.
The Permanent Way gang, with assistance from contractors to manage the road surface, lifted out the rotten wooden sleepers, broken chairs and worn rails, laid new ballast and sleepers, attached the rails, and replaced the old crossing gates with much wider ones. The wider road will benefit the railway too, as it will improve access to the new halt that will be built there. A full report of the work done will appear in the next edition (number 100) of the MNR's Blastpipe magazine.
The next level crossing to be replaced will be Swanton Road in north Dereham, scheduled for January 2009.
Railfuture East Anglia Branch News Snippets 176 - 21/07/2008
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