The Progress so far

There is a private organisation called The Wisbech & March Bramley Line (Heritage) Group that is a not-for-profit group formed officially in January 2004 to reinstate the Wisbech East to March railway line, always known locally as the Bramley line due to it's links with the shipment of Bramley apples from the surrounding area. Their aim was to operate as a 10 mile long Heritage Railway in to March Station?  In a moment of rashness, they purchased five ex Gatwick Coaches in February 2005  with the full knowledge that only two classes of locomotive could couple to them. They ended up stabled in March up sidings until May 2008. They were never used by them. They have now been sold to a company in NZ.

May 2008

Now that the Gatwick Coaches have left the UK for New Zealand on board the container ship, MV Comoros Stream that also had on board three additional Gatwick Coaches.  All the coaches it seems  were purchased by Main Line Steam Ltd to tie in with their new Tauranga excursions line to link with Cruise ships.

The whole deal was brokered by a visiting member of Ocean Beach Railway Museum on their behalf.

On arrival in NZ the coaches will be based at their Plimmerton depot where certain alterations will be made to the coaches bogies prior to use.

 

       THERE WAS AND STILL CAN BE LIFE AFTER DEATH

With some initiative from the Wisbech & March Rail Action Committee (WAMRAC), the RDS & the RIS who jointly hired four trains from 1978 through to 1980 from Wisbech.

The first was a four car DMU on September 23rd 1978 that was repeated on May 19th 1979 from March to Wisbech where it loaded with passengers for the journey to Cambridge and return. (see New photos in working Gallery)

The third charter was a longer train bound for Lowestoft and return. This took place on Sunday September 2nd 1979 departing at 08.30 and returning at 19.30 for a return fare of £2.90.

The fourth and final charter was a Christmas shopper special to Cambridge on Saturday November 29th 1980.

There have been a number of enthusiast charters since the lines official closure, the last being in 2001.Unfortunately due to many years lack of maintenance, the line is in very poor state of repair and no longer safe for any more charters.

As the holder of two volumes of news cuttings and letters all referring to the Bramley Line dating from 2002 (that no one else seems to have thought of).The only real support it seems comes from both local news papers but for what? A Heritage or Commuter line? But if there is not enough financial support to keep the line open as a Heritage or Commuter route. It will mean Wisbech, as the Capital of the Fens will be doomed should the branch be taken over by a Heritage Group. It will mean Wisbech will be disconnected from the rest of the Country for ever regarding a railway link?

The demand for a commuter link would receive far great support if given more publicity than that for a heritage line that is basically just a single line at present with insufficient parking at either end and no where to store rolling stock. Sure it would cost a few million to bring the branch into fully operational standards, a sum the Group could never find alone. But the operational costs would be minimal providing the existing two manual gated crossing are changed and the two remaining ungated crossings  over the A47 and at Begdale. Once the track is brought back to operational standards the operational costs would be small if retained as a Commuter branch, providing people used it.

With easier access from East Anglia and the North to the new Eurostar link at St.Pancras, now just a short stroll from Kings X station, opens up far greater prospects for us all. No more suffering delays on the A47 to Peterborough or Kings Lynn due to road accidents to catch a pre booked train. The train really does take the strain.

A commercial operation is needed that would provide connections to both Ely and Peterborough even London that would help ease the congestion on the areas roads that continue to increases as each year passes. Both Wisbech and March Towns come to an almost complete stand still at morning and evening peak hours and this has to change? 

Now that National Express hold the East Coast franchise, they have suggested electrifying the line between Peterborough and Ely. An engineering project GNER never got around to and one that makes sense.

In the ABC Railway Guide for April 1956, Wisbech East had six trains a day from London Liverpool Street Monday to Friday with one extra train on Wednesdays. Saturdays saw seven trains.

Sunday traffic was just three trains from London and three trains back. The fare was £1.9 shillings & 6d Return 3rd class. With almost 4 hours travelling time, the service did not cater for commuter traffic then.

But times have changed. The population in Wisbech in 1956 was 17,430. In 2001 it was 20,200 and growing.

          COMMENT LATEST NEWS

One hears the words "Never Give Up" many times when faced with a difficult situation. But this time it relates to long closed branch lines in the UK. For as much as you might read elsewhere, the demands from the general public are getting lines reopened all over the UK.

Currently the Ebbw Vale Parkway to Cardiff branch that closed to passengers in 1962, should be open by now at a cost of £30 million with a possibility of returning the links to Ebbw Vale, Abertillery and Newport later. Corby after a great deal of effort from the public eventually got a new station opened. There are other Branches being looked at all over the UK and it is hoped the Wisbech to March branch will receive similar attention in view of the vast expanding growth of the Town and the surrounding areas.

If you remain silent then you will lose this branch forever?

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/WisbechRailway


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