Wisbech and March Bramleyline
Encyclopedia
The Wisbech and March Bramley Line is a proposed heritage railway
based in the town of March
in Cambridgeshire
, England
, that aims to reinstate services over the disused (but still extant) railway line linking the town with Wisbech
.
: a 7.8-mile line to Wisbech which was reached by an almost straight north-easterly route across The Fens
and a line south to the market town
of St Ives
. The double-track line to Wisbech was the first to open on 3 May 1847 followed by the St Ives line nine months later. The Wisbech line was taken over before completion by the Eastern Counties Railway
and then by the Great Eastern Railway
in 1862. Coldham
was the only intermediate station between March and Wisbech, the latter being served by a new station constructed in the town centre and named "Wisbeach". It was to last until 1863 when it was resited south and later renamed Wisbech East
upon nationalisation of the railways
to distinguish it from the Midland and Great Northern
's Wisbech North station
. The railway development in the area was completed in March 1848 with the opening of a single-track 9.5 mile extension from Wisbeach to Watlington Junction.
Although not recommended for closure in the Beeching Report of 1963, the series of lines around Wisbech were gradually closed from the 1960s onwards. Coldham station was the first to be closed in 1966, followed by the March to Watlington and March to Wisbech branches in September 1968. The line between March and Wisbech remained, however, open to freight traffic - namely steel coil for the Metal Box factory and occasional parcels, coal and pet food trains from Nestle Purina until Summer 2000. The line was singled in March 1972 with the lifting of the down rails.
Cambridgeshire County Council considered re-opening the line between March and Wisbech to passengers in 1990, however a quote from British Rail of £1.36 million for the upgrading of the then operational freight line, coupled to an annual £200,000 operating charge, meant that this proposal was dropped.
Campaigning group Railfuture have made an uncosted proposal that that line should be restored as a commuter route, providing an hourly service to Cambridge, with a maximum suggested journey time of 35 minutes. They compare their case for restoring the service to the completed Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine rail link
.
loco and ten British Rail Mk2 coaches
, which ran from Wisbech to York
and Scarborough.
The track now ends at Weasenham Lane crossing following the tarmacing over of the rails from the level crossing
in 2005. Beyond this point, the old Wisbech East Goods Yard (acquired by Nestle Purina from Railtrack
in 1995) was last used in 2000. Three years after the last pet food train from Wisbech, the remaining three sidings were lifted. Most of the yard area now forms the factory and car park extension.
As for the single track, owned by Network Rail
, it is still connected to the National Rail network via Whitemoor Junction near March, but locked off. It was officially closed to traffic by Network Rail in 2002 due to the poor state of the infrastructure. New signalling was installed at the junction during late 2007 for the benefit of outward bound engineering trains from the re-opened Whitemoor Yard, once the second biggest freight yard in Europe during World War II
and now a stabling point for engineering trains.
petitioned in its report Connecting Communities: Expanding Access to the Rail Network
for the line to be restored as part of the national rail network as part of plans for 14 extra lines and about 40 new stations.
This £12m proposal would see hourly trains running on the existing single line between Wisbech, March and Peterborough and could be linked with Cross Country's proposed extension of Birmingham - Leicester service to Peterborough. It would serve a population of Wisbech of 26 500 and a wider station catchment area of 50 000 including villages and towns such as Long Sutton in the area between the Spalding-Peterborough line and the Kings Lynn lines. A new station at Wisbech and a possible additional park and ride adjacent to the A47 would be built. The ATOC report was based on a detailed, professional, market study for reinstated railways with the aim of improving economic regeneration. The ATOC report has the active support of the Liberal Democrats, Railfuture and is being followed up by the local council.
Having reviewed the ATOC proposals the Wisbech to March Bramley Line published its position statement, with its main points being:-
A statement made by Simon King, Fenland District Council’s chairman of Overview and Scrutiny Committee, indicated that the Council "are very pleased ATOC has raised the idea of re-opening the line" and stated that, "anything Fenland District Council can do to support it we will do because it is really important for the development of the area”. In November 2009 Councillor King declared his interest as a Board member of the Bramleyline group in a Fenland District Council meeting. The news of the ATOC proposal was also welcomed by John West, Wisbech's Mayor, and Kit Owen, Fenland’s portfolio holder for Open for Business.
. In response to a question as to how more visitors could be attracted to The Fens and Wisbech in particular, he suggested reinstating the railway line, an idea which met with some amusement at the time and which remains unproven. Downs nevertheless began making enquiries within the railway industry as to the future plans for the disused line which had seen its last freight service in 2000. An article was published in the local press to drum up support and a meeting was held, at which only five supporters attended, and elected Downs as Chairman. The railway's name was chosen and formerly adopted at the meeting, after the large quantity of Bramley apples
that used to be carried by rail from the area.
In December 2007 Fenland District Council refused the Bramleyline's application for £20,000 funding on the basis that the project had "no business basis" and "no practical outcome". The Council advised the group to prepare another business plan and offered to help it secure alternative funding.
The team have also been replacing and painting the fencing at various sites, including Elm Road Crossing, March. The Bramley Line 'Roadshow' also attends as many local fairs and fetes possible, as well as a number of Model Railway Exhibitions promoting their cause.
March Station's disused platforms have been partially cleaned up by a group of volunteers, but this is not linked to the Bramley Line project.
Gatwick Express
BR Mk2f class 488
coaches, comprising a rake of four Standard class and one Club Class vehicles and they were later stabled in the sidings next to March East signalbox. A public appeal raised £2,500 to move the coaches to March.
Following vandalism to the coaches, it was proposed in November 2007 that the coaches should be sold. They were later purchased by a New Zealand
-based railway in May 2008.
for passenger trains to be able to run again between Wisbech and March.
Heritage railway
thumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...
based in the town of March
March, Cambridgeshire
March is a Fenland market town and civil parish in the Isle of Ely area of Cambridgeshire, England. March was the county town of the Isle of Ely, a separate administrative county between 1889 and 1965, and is now the administrative centre of Fenland District Council.The town was an important...
in Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, that aims to reinstate services over the disused (but still extant) railway line linking the town with Wisbech
Wisbech
Wisbech is a market town, inland port and civil parish with a population of 20,200 in the Fens of Cambridgeshire. The tidal River Nene runs through the centre of the town and is spanned by two bridges...
.
Historical background
The passing of the Wisbech, St. Ives and Cambridge Junction Railway Act 1846 (c.ccclvi) authorised the construction of two lines from March railway stationMarch railway station
March railway station serves the town of March in Cambridgeshire, England. The station is east of Peterborough on the Ely to Peterborough Line....
: a 7.8-mile line to Wisbech which was reached by an almost straight north-easterly route across The Fens
The Fens
The Fens, also known as the , are a naturally marshy region in eastern England. Most of the fens were drained several centuries ago, resulting in a flat, damp, low-lying agricultural region....
and a line south to the market town
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
of St Ives
St Ives, Cambridgeshire
St Ives is a market town in Cambridgeshire, England, around north-west of the city of Cambridge and north of London. It lies within the historic county boundaries of Huntingdonshire.-History:...
. The double-track line to Wisbech was the first to open on 3 May 1847 followed by the St Ives line nine months later. The Wisbech line was taken over before completion by the Eastern Counties Railway
Eastern Counties Railway
The Eastern Counties Railway was an early English railway company incorporated in 1836. It was intended to link London with Ipswich via Colchester, and then on to Norwich and Yarmouth. Construction began in late March 1837 on the first nine miles, at the London end of the line.Construction was...
and then by the Great Eastern Railway
Great Eastern Railway
The Great Eastern Railway was a pre-grouping British railway company, whose main line linked London Liverpool Street to Norwich and which had other lines through East Anglia...
in 1862. Coldham
Coldham railway station
Coldham railway station was a station in Coldham, Cambridgeshire. It was part of a branch of the Great Eastern Railway which ran from March to Watlington...
was the only intermediate station between March and Wisbech, the latter being served by a new station constructed in the town centre and named "Wisbeach". It was to last until 1863 when it was resited south and later renamed Wisbech East
Wisbech East railway station
This article is about the Great Eastern Railway station in Wisbech. For the Midland and Great Northern railway station see Wisbech North.Wisbech East was a railway station in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire. It was opened in 1848 and became part of the Great Eastern Railway network, providing connections...
upon nationalisation of the railways
Transport Act 1947
The Transport Act 1947 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Under it the railways, long-distance road haulage and various other types of transport were acquired by the state and handed over to a new British Transport Commission for operation...
to distinguish it from the Midland and Great Northern
Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway
The Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway, was a joint railway owned by the Midland Railway and the Great Northern Railway in eastern England, affectionately known as the 'Muddle and Get Nowhere' to generations of passengers, enthusiasts, and other users.The main line ran from Peterborough to...
's Wisbech North station
Wisbech North railway station
Wisbech North railway station was a station in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire. It had been part of the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway network in East Anglia, and closed in 1959.Former Services-History:...
. The railway development in the area was completed in March 1848 with the opening of a single-track 9.5 mile extension from Wisbeach to Watlington Junction.
Although not recommended for closure in the Beeching Report of 1963, the series of lines around Wisbech were gradually closed from the 1960s onwards. Coldham station was the first to be closed in 1966, followed by the March to Watlington and March to Wisbech branches in September 1968. The line between March and Wisbech remained, however, open to freight traffic - namely steel coil for the Metal Box factory and occasional parcels, coal and pet food trains from Nestle Purina until Summer 2000. The line was singled in March 1972 with the lifting of the down rails.
Cambridgeshire County Council considered re-opening the line between March and Wisbech to passengers in 1990, however a quote from British Rail of £1.36 million for the upgrading of the then operational freight line, coupled to an annual £200,000 operating charge, meant that this proposal was dropped.
Campaigning group Railfuture have made an uncosted proposal that that line should be restored as a commuter route, providing an hourly service to Cambridge, with a maximum suggested journey time of 35 minutes. They compare their case for restoring the service to the completed Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine rail link
Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine rail link
The Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine rail link was a project to re-open of railway line between the towns of Stirling, Alloa and Kincardine in Scotland, United Kingdom. The route opened to rail traffic in March 2008.- Background :...
.
Early preservation attempts
Plans to open the line as a passenger service have been discussed for many years. In 1974, "WAMRAC" (the Wisbech And March Railway Action Committee) was formed with the intention of reopening the Wisbech line to passenger traffic. The committee never achieved this goal, although on 1 July 1984 and the Railway Development Society (RDS, which now campaigns as Railfuture), the WAMRAC organised the last ever passenger train from Wisbech. This was a special train consisting of a Class 47British Rail Class 47
The British Rail Class 47, is a class of British railway diesel-electric locomotive that was developed in the 1960s by Brush Traction. A total of 512 Class 47s were built at Crewe Works and Brush's Falcon Works, Loughborough between 1962 and 1968, which made them the most numerous class of British...
loco and ten British Rail Mk2 coaches
British Rail Mark 2
The Mark 2 family of railway carriages were British Rail's second design of carriages. They were built by British Rail workshops between 1964 and 1975...
, which ran from Wisbech to York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
and Scarborough.
State of the route
Wisbech East Station was lost to redevelopment following closure in 1968 and the station site is obliterated by a housing development dating from 2001.The track now ends at Weasenham Lane crossing following the tarmacing over of the rails from the level crossing
Level crossing
A level crossing occurs where a railway line is intersected by a road or path onone level, without recourse to a bridge or tunnel. It is a type of at-grade intersection. The term also applies when a light rail line with separate right-of-way or reserved track crosses a road in the same fashion...
in 2005. Beyond this point, the old Wisbech East Goods Yard (acquired by Nestle Purina from Railtrack
Railtrack
Railtrack was a group of companies that owned the track, signalling, tunnels, bridges, level crossings and all but a handful of the stations of the British railway system from its formation in April 1994 until 2002...
in 1995) was last used in 2000. Three years after the last pet food train from Wisbech, the remaining three sidings were lifted. Most of the yard area now forms the factory and car park extension.
As for the single track, owned by Network Rail
Network Rail
Network Rail is the government-created owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain .; it is not responsible for railway infrastructure in Northern Ireland...
, it is still connected to the National Rail network via Whitemoor Junction near March, but locked off. It was officially closed to traffic by Network Rail in 2002 due to the poor state of the infrastructure. New signalling was installed at the junction during late 2007 for the benefit of outward bound engineering trains from the re-opened Whitemoor Yard, once the second biggest freight yard in Europe during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and now a stabling point for engineering trains.
Proposals to re-open the line by ATOC
In June 2009, the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC)Association of Train Operating Companies
The Association of Train Operating Companies is a body which represents 24 train operating companies that provide passenger railway services on the privatised British railway system. It owns the National Rail brand. The Association is an unincorporated association owned by its members...
petitioned in its report Connecting Communities: Expanding Access to the Rail Network
Connecting Communities: Expanding Access to the Rail Network
Connecting Communities: Expanding Access to the Rail Network is a 2009 report by the Association of Train Operating Companies identifying potential expansion of the National Rail passenger railway network in England, primarily through the construction or re-opening of railway lines for passenger...
for the line to be restored as part of the national rail network as part of plans for 14 extra lines and about 40 new stations.
This £12m proposal would see hourly trains running on the existing single line between Wisbech, March and Peterborough and could be linked with Cross Country's proposed extension of Birmingham - Leicester service to Peterborough. It would serve a population of Wisbech of 26 500 and a wider station catchment area of 50 000 including villages and towns such as Long Sutton in the area between the Spalding-Peterborough line and the Kings Lynn lines. A new station at Wisbech and a possible additional park and ride adjacent to the A47 would be built. The ATOC report was based on a detailed, professional, market study for reinstated railways with the aim of improving economic regeneration. The ATOC report has the active support of the Liberal Democrats, Railfuture and is being followed up by the local council.
Having reviewed the ATOC proposals the Wisbech to March Bramley Line published its position statement, with its main points being:-
- The service proposed by ATOC is between Wisbech and Peterborough via March for which they believe an adequate express bus services already exist.
- The capital costs to reinstate a full national rail service are at least £12m and probably more, with, for example, the Stirling to Alloa line re-instatement costing over £65m.
- The report in respect of the March – Wisbech line contains only an option for review not a proposal for the restoration of a service.
- Network Rail has confirmed to the Bramley Line that the establishment of a community heritage service would not be a barrier to network services returning to the line in the future.
- Community heritage railways require significantly less capital costs to re-establish services and lower operating costs.
A statement made by Simon King, Fenland District Council’s chairman of Overview and Scrutiny Committee, indicated that the Council "are very pleased ATOC has raised the idea of re-opening the line" and stated that, "anything Fenland District Council can do to support it we will do because it is really important for the development of the area”. In November 2009 Councillor King declared his interest as a Board member of the Bramleyline group in a Fenland District Council meeting. The news of the ATOC proposal was also welcomed by John West, Wisbech's Mayor, and Kit Owen, Fenland’s portfolio holder for Open for Business.
Genesis
The Wisbech March Railway Trust was formed on 22 October 2003 by Wisbech businessman Peter Downs following an initiative he had raised at meetings of the local Chamber of CommerceChamber of commerce
A chamber of commerce is a form of business network, e.g., a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to advocate on behalf of the business community...
. In response to a question as to how more visitors could be attracted to The Fens and Wisbech in particular, he suggested reinstating the railway line, an idea which met with some amusement at the time and which remains unproven. Downs nevertheless began making enquiries within the railway industry as to the future plans for the disused line which had seen its last freight service in 2000. An article was published in the local press to drum up support and a meeting was held, at which only five supporters attended, and elected Downs as Chairman. The railway's name was chosen and formerly adopted at the meeting, after the large quantity of Bramley apples
Bramley (apple)
Malus domestica 'Bramley's Seedling' is a cultivar of apple which is usually eaten cooked due to its sourness...
that used to be carried by rail from the area.
In December 2007 Fenland District Council refused the Bramleyline's application for £20,000 funding on the basis that the project had "no business basis" and "no practical outcome". The Council advised the group to prepare another business plan and offered to help it secure alternative funding.
Proposed route
Using the existing route as far as the Network Rail junction at Whitemoor, with a new temporary station named "March Elm Road" would be located as near as possible to Elm Road Crossing. On the other side of Elm Road Crossing, a run round loop would eventually be provided. A Single Platform would initially be provided at Coldham station then, at a later stage, a passing loop would also be installed as close as is possible to the site of the former down (Wisbech) platform. A platform might also be built at Waldersea, on the Wisbech side of the crossing. The Wisbech terminus station would be built as near as possible to Weasenham Lane Level Crossing, which is the current end of the line. At present, such plans are purely theoretical.Volunteer Work taking place
The Bramley Line has a license from Network Rail which permits them to clear vegetation. They are not allowed to repair the actual track. The Track Clearance Team commenced at Coldham in July 2006 and have continued since then, working back towards Wisbech. Full track clearance of overgrown shrubs and vegetation is required so as to carry out a thorough inspection of the track infrastructure. This is necessary as the branch line was last maintained to a basic freight standard (15 ton only) in the early 1970s following the lifting of the Down main rails into Wisbech.The team have also been replacing and painting the fencing at various sites, including Elm Road Crossing, March. The Bramley Line 'Roadshow' also attends as many local fairs and fetes possible, as well as a number of Model Railway Exhibitions promoting their cause.
March Station's disused platforms have been partially cleaned up by a group of volunteers, but this is not linked to the Bramley Line project.
Rolling stock
In February 2005 the Bramley Line Group purchased five ex-InterCityInterCity (British Rail)
InterCity was introduced by British Rail in 1966 as a brand-name for its long-haul express passenger services ....
Gatwick Express
Gatwick Express
Gatwick Express is the name given to the frequent rail shuttle service between Victoria station in London and Gatwick Airport in South East England, operated by the Southern franchise...
BR Mk2f class 488
British Rail Class 488
The British Rail Class 488 are unpowered trailer sets, converted from Mark 2F coaches for the Gatwick Express service from London Victoria railway station to Gatwick Airport....
coaches, comprising a rake of four Standard class and one Club Class vehicles and they were later stabled in the sidings next to March East signalbox. A public appeal raised £2,500 to move the coaches to March.
Following vandalism to the coaches, it was proposed in November 2007 that the coaches should be sold. They were later purchased by a New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
-based railway in May 2008.
Network Rail lease
The extant Up line from Wisbech is still owned by Network Rail. The Bramley Line are currently working to raise the money to pay Network Rail's legal fees, in order to get the lease of the line for the purposes of restoring it for tourist trains. Only when the lease for the branch has been obtained from Network Rail will the Bramley Line be legally permitted to carry out full track repair and renewal, including replacement of some 200 wooden sleepers. The track renewal work will then have to be approved by HM Rail InspectorateHer Majesty's Railway Inspectorate
Established in 1840, HM Railway Inspectorate was the British organisation responsible for overseeing safety on Britain's railways and tramways...
for passenger trains to be able to run again between Wisbech and March.