An emergency appeal has been launched by The Mid Norfolk Railway to help fund the restoration of a bridge so that the railway can fully reopen for train services.
The appeal, known as the ‘Back on Track’ appeal, is looking to raise £95,000 that, with money already committed by the railway, will help to fund the restoration of Crownthorpe Bridge which crosses the B1135 near Wymondham, together with associated works.
Initially, a staged reopening will take place, with trains running to Thuxton. Once the major work at Crownthorpe bridge has been completed, it will remove a major hurdle to fully reopening the line.
For details on how to donate and the donation packages available, please visit the Mid Norfolk Railway Website donation page at www.midnorfolkrailway.co.uk/donations.
All those who donate to the appeal will have access to a ‘Back on Track’ special train that the railway plans to run on Saturday, 13th April.
The ‘Back on Track’ Special will run from Dereham to Wymondham Junction via Wymondham Abbey, allowing passengers to travel on the section of the line that is open to passengers.
Only those who have donated to the fund will have access to the special train.
Charlie Robinson, the Chairman of the Mid Norfolk Railway {reservation Trust, explaining the appeal said: “Despite significant investment in the railway’s infrastructure in recent years, the reality is that when the Mid Norfolk Railway started in the 1990s, it began with a railway line that had not been maintained since the 1960s.
“Significant progress in addressing this has previously been made, but the rate of deterioration is accelerating and costs for long-term refurbishment have risen significantly. This means additional funding must be found just to maintain what we have. This appeal is designed to get the railway running again, as quickly as possible.
“Every pound donated is a small step to ensuring the railway’s future. I, therefore, appeal to everyone be they from the region, or a rail enthusiast, or both, to give generously at this difficult time for all, to ensure the MNR has a future.”
Responses
John has posted something that would be a good point – were it true in any way. To be fair, though, maybe if the MNR had been more open about facts people like John would make less factually incorrect assumptions?
The Northern Section continues to be maintained by a small gang of volunteers, working on a very minimal budget. Neither of these detract, in any way, from the Southern Section. Several of those choosing to restore this section of line (the restoration of which is a core aim of the charity) also volunteer on the rest of the line. The Northern Section also is owned by the railway, and needs to be maintained to some degree as a result, so surely it makes a lot more sense to have it operational and making money?
As other railways have discovered, the exceptional hot weather followed by the very cold snap, accelerated issues with aging timber structures. These things happen.
Maybe if the MNR had focused less on extending what is already a fairly long line for a preserved railway, and concentrated on proper upkeep of what they already have, they would have had the money and manpower required to keep Crownthorpe Bridge in safe working order, instead of waiting until it was unusable before dealing with it.