As the Mid Norfolk Railway prepares for its Polar Express trains, it has issued an update on this year’s significant events.

Work is being carried out to replace the life-expired waybeams on Crownthorpe Bridge so that it will be ready for trains to run to Wymondham next summer. Funding for the work has come from donations of over £40,000 and general railway funds, as well as efforts by the Head of PW to source materials.

The PW Department has relaid the level crossing at Gravestone so that it is ready for the Polar Express trains to run to Thuxton.

The long-awaited extension of Platform 2/3 at Dereham has been completed, which was facilitated when a contract was signed that granted the Mid Norfolk Railway a franchise to run Polar Express trains for the next seven years. Completion of the extension has removed the need for a temporary platform with its associated costs.

The railway has received class 03 diesel shunter D2063/03063, a goods wagon, and a Conflat A as a bequest from the estate of the late Paul Mobbs, who was a long-time member and contributed to the railway in many ways. The 03 will operate as a shunter at Dereham.

The Signal and Telegraph Department continues work to resignal the line from Dereham to Wymondham, Dereham and Thuxton nearing completion. At Wymondham, refurbishmentof the former Spooner Row Signal Box is now nearing completion.

Among other developments was the reintroduction of the Beer Festival and the new Dino Trains.

The Change Management Working group, which has a remit to review, update and introduce new policies and procedures for the better governance of the railway, continues its work. As part of that work, Mark Collinson has rejoined the railway and been appointed as the new full time Operations Manager.

At this year’s Annual General Meeting in September, which was attended by one of the largest turnouts for many years, a ballot was held to fill six Trust Council places, with six new members elected. With the new members from last year including Chairman Designate Graham Watts, the majority of the Trust Council will have changed since last-year’s AGM.

Mr Watts said: “I take this as a very encouraging sign that members have been prepared to stand and are bringing their professional experience in a wide range of areas to the railway. This is essential if the Trust Council is to develop the business and achieve the Charitable Aims of the Mid Norfolk Railway Preservation Trust.”

Charlie Robinson the outgoing Chairman of the MNRPT said: “As I stand down from the chairmanship, I would like to thank the Trustees who have worked with me during my chairmanship for their hard work. Some, such as John Hull and Barry Woodgett are the pioneers who have been involved since the very beginning and have been long-standing members of the Trust Council.

“As they now step down as Trustees, it is for the new Trustees and those that remain to now ensure we take the railway forward as a sustainable business.”

To provide extra capacity the railway bought a Mk.1 dual-braked BFK coach No. E14023, which after minor refurbishment and repainting will enter service next year so that the railway can create two rakes of vacuum-braked heritage coaches to allow regular two train operations.

Tony Dunford the MNR head of Traction and Rollings Stock Restoration said: “The purchase of the brake coach is significant, the costs and time involved in acquiring it and then bringing it into service are significantly less than the refurbishment of a coach we already own.

“This in turn brings forward the day when we will have the two MK1/2 Vacuum braked sets in service and means the railway will have much greater flexibility in the future to plan and run our services.”

Summing up the year Graham Watts, the new Chairman of the MNRPT, said: “Of course not running to Wymondham this year has been disappointing, but despite that the railway is making progress and the key objective of the new Trust Council is to stabilise the business, to ensure we have the policies, procedures and good governance practices in place to run and develop the business so that we are financially stable and working towards out charitable aims.

“Everyone is looking forward to Polar Express and then it is our intention to run a full programme of events next year for the first time since 2019”.