Barrington Light Railway

[pwholmes]

Hi - I am new to this forum, so this is my first post.

I drove through Barrington in Cambridgeshire on Tuesday this week (14th April) to find that the work restoring the light railway from Foxton to the Quarry is proceeding apace. I crossed all level crossings and there were construction activities at each with the trackbed excavated to a good depth to give a deep ballast bed, new concrete sleeper stockpiles and men and machines working everywhere. No sign of any LC equipment yet.

I am told they are going to run 3 years worth of landfill trains to the quarry to allow it to be developed as a residential site.

I chatted with one of the construction gang, he said the track is to be complete by end May this year. He didn't know when opening is planned but said there would be a reopening ceremony with steam locos working special passenger trains for the locals, so there's something to watch out for!!

With this being completely refurbished, the thought struck me that after the landfill trains had finished in 3 years, it would make a good heritage railway from Foxton NR station to the picturesque village of Barrington.

Purely a wild bit of daydreaming on my part, of course.......

 

[pwholmes]

Not sure there's much interest here but anyway, passed over the crossings yesterday and the new pway is down along much of the route but not top ballasted. The new points into the sidings at Foxton are also installed. Still no sign of the crossing equipment or any work beyond the crossing at Barrington onto the old cement works site.

 

[railnerd]

Hi.

One of the signallers at Foxton GB is a friend of mine. He says he will keep me posted when the trains start running. I'm sure Realtime Trains etc. will be a good source too.

Sadly however, the siding does run onto a busy commuter line, so one suspects most of the freight trains will run under a cover of darkness!

 

[bramling]

Not sure there's much interest here but anyway, passed over the crossings yesterday and the new pway is down along much of the route but not top ballasted. The new points into the sidings at Foxton are also installed. Still no sign of the crossing equipment or any work beyond the crossing at Barrington onto the old cement works site.

I'm interested; please feel encouraged to keep posting any updates on the subject.

 

[pwholmes]

Railnerd,

I suspect you may be mistaken - I heard that that they would not be running trains during the rush hours to avoid snarling up the crossings but would run them during the rest of the day. I believe it was three trains a day Monday to Friday.

Foxton is on the commuter line between Hitchin and Cambridge but I wouldn't say it was that busy, two maybe three trains an hour off-peak - plenty of room there for a fast fitted freight.

It could be that the Barrington Railway, being a light railway, is an hours of daylight operation anyway.

 

[railnerd]

Hi.

I don't recall saying that the trains would definately run by moonlight.

Ive been at Foxton when there has been a passenger train every 10 mins. Can you imagine GNT counting the delays when a freight train fails on the points at Foxton?

 

[edwin_m]

There was an article in Modern Railways on this a couple of months back. That suggested keeping the track once the landfill is re-developed, and running a Parry People Mover or similar to link the housing area to Foxton station. This actually sounds like a sensible use for ultra-light rail, although it would have to terminate in its own siding (probably on the wrong side of the A10) rather than going into the station.

 

[jopsuk]

previous thread on this. There's been paths for trains in the system for months, unused because it's taking a lot longer than expected to get it fixed.

Can't see there being enough demand to run even "ultra light" rail along here

 

[edwin_m]

The Modern Railways article suggested that the delay at Barrington was because they had hoped to get the Crossrail spoil contract.

How many houses are planned on the Barrington site?

 

[pwholmes]

The development plans and studies etc are all to be found here:

https://www.scambs.gov.uk/content/cemex-cement-works-barrington

 

[Spamcan81]

Barrington is fairly local to me so will be good to see the Light Railway back in use again.
The suggested use of steam in a reopening ceremony sounds most interesting.
Will be more than happy for the OP to keep this thread updated.

 

[dysonsphere]

Intresting to see a light railway reinstated for what was there original purpose. But the planning statement nowonder were short of houses with all that rubbish to fill in. lets try just building houses and not generating filling cabinets of paperwork

 

[pwholmes]

I would think there is enough paper there to give each great crested newt in Cambridgeshire a ream of A4!!!

 

[a good off]

Railnerd,

I suspect you may be mistaken - I heard that that they would not be running trains during the rush hours to avoid snarling up the crossings but would run them during the rest of the day. I believe it was three trains a day Monday to Friday.

Foxton is on the commuter line between Hitchin and Cambridge but I wouldn't say it was that busy, two maybe three trains an hour off-peak - plenty of room there for a fast fitted freight.

It is a lot busier than that with 4 trains an hour each way all day plus any extras. There isn't that much free capacity especially if a shunt is involved at Foxton for Barrington trains approaching from the Royston direction.

 

[jopsuk]

The four trains per hour (one stopping at Foxton) each way off peak will become six trains per hour (two stopping at Foxton) from 2018. I'd hope they will try and route all freight to approach from/depart towards Cambridge, as shunting would involve the level crossing on the A10 being down even longer

 

[railnerd]

Hi.

I was at foxton on Friday.

The signaller informs me that the track relaying etc. is still ongoing and no freight trains will be running in the near future.

Also, when they do run, it will most likely be between 1am - 5am.

 

[Joe O]

Hello
I visited the track a few weeks ago and walked about on the line which appeared to be complete. I got told off by the signalman at the junction at Foxton station, who told me that the very first train had gone up the line that day. What struck me is that the level crossings didn't seem to have any lights or barriers on them, despite crossing main roads. There was a brand new road sign with a steam train on it and an x crossing sign underneath, but no lights. Isn't this a bit dangerous? Perhaps they have a man waving a flag or something.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Hello
I visited the track a few weeks ago and walked about on the line which appeared to be complete. I got told off by the signalman at the junction at Foxton station, who told me that the very first train had gone up the line that day. What struck me is that the level crossings didn't seem to have any lights or barriers on them, despite crossing main roads. There was a brand new road sign with a steam train on it and an x crossing sign underneath, but no lights. Isn't this a bit dangerous? Perhaps they have a man waving a flag or something.

 

[richa2002]

Yes. Each crossing has a man with a flag when a train is running. No danger to be had.

 

[33056]

The first train ran on 30th June from Willesden, it is booked to arrive at Foxton around 6am and leave there again around 1pm.
Actual running times today (21/07) were:
Inbound (6L00) and return (6M05) .
It ran every day last week but, did not run on Monday (yesterday) this week so far.

 

[jopsuk]

Trains definitely running now- saw a full spoil train at Cambridge yesterday morning, and the same one empty in the evening

 

[33056]

Final tally for this week (21 to 24/07) was four trains; one each day from Tuesday to Friday.

 

[dk1]

Been catching up something with large box wagons down road early afternoon in the Ely area. Goes into the loop. Would this be what it is?

 

[33056]

Been catching up something with large box wagons down road early afternoon in the Ely area. Goes into the loop. Would this be what it is?

That is not the crossrail spoil from Willesden as it doesn't go anywhere near Ely; the only thing that I can see that might fit your description is 6L37 9:58 Hoo Jn to Whitemoor Yard which is booked in Ely Reception between 14:05 and 14:17.