Wisbech and March Bramleyline
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The Wisbech and March "Bramleyline" is an embryonic heritage railway in Cambridgeshire, England that aims to reinstate services over the disused March to Wisbech line, similar to the Mid-Norfolk Railway at Dereham.
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[edit] History
First opened on 3 May 1847 by the Eastern Counties Railway (March to Wisbech (renamed Wisbech East later on by the G.E.R), and opened on 1st February 1848 by the East Anglian Railway (Wisbech (East) to Watlington Junction), with both companies took over by the G.E.R, the March to Watlington branch was finally closed to passenger traffic on 9 September 1968. There was one single intermediate station at Coldham, which closed on 7 March 1966. The line was 7.8 miles double track from March to Wisbech then 9 1/2 miles single track on to Magdalen Road Junction via Emneth, Smeeth Road, Middle Drove. Magdalen Road closed along with the Wisbech branch in September 9th, 1968.
However, Magdalen Road (on the King's Lynn to Cambridge main line)was re-opened in 1975 following a local campaign and is now well used by passengers. Wisbech East Station was lost to redevelopment following 1968 closure. The station site is marked by a 2001 housing development. The former G.E.R line from March to Wisbech was singled in 1972, the 'Down' main rails were lifted. But the branch was kept open for freight (Steel coil traffic for Metal Box factory, occasional parcels and coal, and Pet food trains from Nestle Purina) until Summer 2000.
The track now ends at Weasenham Lane crossing following the removal of the rails from the Level Crossing in 2005. Beyond Weasenham Lane, the old East Goods Yard (bought by Nestle Purina in 1995 from Railtrack) was last used in 2000. Three years after the last pet food train from Wisbech, the remaining three sidings were lifted. The whole yard area now forms the factory and carpark extension.
As for the single track, owned by Network Rail, it is still connected to the UK rail network via Whitemoor Junction, March. New signalling was put in place on 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, now a stabling point for engineering trains).
Plans to open to 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 re-instating the Wisbech line for regular passenger trains again. The committee never achieved this goal, although on 1 July 1984, along with RDS (Rail Development Services), the WAMRAC organised the last ever passenger train from Wisbech. This was a special train consisting of a Class 47 loco and ten British Rail Mk2 coaches, which ran from Wisbech to York and Scarborough.
[edit] Rolling stock
The Bramleyline group who in proposing a Heritage attempt purchased five ex-InterCity Gatwick Express BR Mk2f class 488 coaches, comprising a rake of four first class and one club class vehicles. Numbers 8209 and 8313 were stabled in March railway station sidings. Locomotive haulage was to have been supplied by Class 73 electro-diesels - two locos topping and tailing the five coaches until loops had been installed on the branch. In November 2007 it was announced that these coaches were up for sale. No further details at this time regarding whether or not the sale of the five coaches will go ahead or not.
[edit] Proposed route
A run-round loop at the proposed March North station (a new temporary station next to Elm Road crossing near Whitemoor Junction and on the Wisbech line); a passing loop through the proposed new Coldham station (on the site of the old down (Wisbech) platform); and a run-round loop between Newbridge Lane and Weasenham Lane crossings are intended. The proposed Wisbech East station will be next to Newbridge Lane crossing, the closest to the original site that the new Wisbech station can possibly be built. Two shuttle bus services are being proposed as well, linking both towns' heritage railway stations with their respective bus stations.
As the still in-situ 'UP' line (from Wisbech) is owned by Network Rail, even though the last service (a Spillers Pet Food train) was in Summer 2000, the line has now been officially closed to all traffic since mid-2007. The Bramleyline Heritage Railway are in talks with Network Rail about taking over the line on a 99-year lease and then restoring it in the near future for tourist trains.
The Bramleyline Track clearance team (TCT) first started vegetation clearance work at Coldham in July 2006 and continued until late 2007. As of the first Sunday of March 2008, the team re-started track clearance work with a vengence close to Whitemoor Junction and each Sunday (weather permitting) are slowly working back towards Wisbech, and in doing so making good progress despite limited volunteer help.
Full track clearance is required so as to carry out a thorough inspection of the track infrastructure. This is required 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.
Once the lease for the branch has been approved by Network Rail, the Bramleyline will only be then able to carry out full track repair and renewal - replacement of rotted wooden sleepers, etc. One in four, or one in five wooden sleepers along the lenghth of the branch have degraded badly and need replacing. If HM Rail Inspectorate passes the renewal work by the Bramleyline P-way team, only then will passenger trains run again between Wisbech and March.
